The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1954-12-31
Just Among Ourselves
Passing Comment Considered or lneonsidsrsfs


skip in the heartbeat Of the clock pause in
the incessant breathing of Time, not so much
little sigh chuckle. But still may doubt
that something has ended that something has newly
begun. The Old Year is more; The New
Year is here.
Time says st. Thomas Aquinas is really one
thng,-one uninterrupted series and succession Of
Vulnerable changes,-altbough men make accidental
distinctions of it. We speak of the Old Year and
the New Year. We talk of the Present Century; Of
Grandfather's Day; of Our Own Times; of Tomor-
row,-ah yes, talk especially of Tomorrow. But
these classes and distinctions of time all own
doing Time itself knows nothing of them
Our days and weeks and years, our epochs and
eras, bright ages and dark ages,
sons and terms and periods and semesters,-aIl
these much like the imaginary lines that mark
the east and west, north and south, and ring
the equatorial belt around its middle. The rolling
earth is not discommoded by all our lines and
limitations II does not look out at the sky through
a cage made of crsscrossed meridian and equator
and parallels Of latitude and longitude, all held Sc
cure by woven knots at the poles
Nor is time constrained by our calculations and
markings These all done in our heads and
set down in invisible ink We bravely try TO make
them visible; black figures glover at us, challeng
ingly or accuslngly from countless calendars, red
ones stir us TO hope and JOY dor the calendar
verses the philosophy of business; its red and black
have the opposite meaning). But science has yet to
find the coloring substance that mark mar
the face OF Time itself
And still we are far from foolish in our accidental
markings of time We need these as the navigator
needs the meridian and all the nterlacng lines
the map For we run a course in time as truly as
the navigator runs a course through or air. We
must be constantly determining our position, and
making careful calculation for our further progress
And, like the work of the navigator all effort
depends for significance upon the fact that there
is a Goal to be reached. 1t is only in view of the
Goal that we check position and make corrections.
We have to make constant check and constant
correction il we are TO run true course. We must
set our helms by the fixed stars yet must make
allowancetfor the wind or the currents of the sea.
We must keep the compass indications, yet must
reckon upon the variations of true and magnetic
poles, and that the compass itself is unnftu-
enced by the metals and magnetic fields of its own
surroundings All this not merely with steadiness
but with repeated action; it is case of again and
again and again That is, it is a case of constant
renewal; case of forever beginning anew.
Thus each new day, each new hour, has its
significance And certainly the larger unit of the
year has meaning New Years is time for general
checking and correcting TO that our lives are
in right order that our course is truly set that
corrections and calculations accurately made and
promptly applied to our swift pace through time to
the Goal Hence the general human agreement upon
New Years as time for good resolutions
= Big matters must come first Are we on
course at all, are travelling away from the
Goal? We course il we in the state of
Gods grace,-sanetifying grace II we lack this
grace we arc making for an alien and runous port
The first resolution for all is this to get Gods
grace Of we lack it, and to keep it always without
41a sin al etv vsKfn
the meaning of life's journey; such sin turns the
soul completely away from its Goal.
This one resolution faithfully observed
to keep in the state of graee-will make the New
Year happy year indeed No matter what may
happen then; no matter how great may be the
malice Of mistaken men; no matter what bombs
may strike fearsome missiles come with sudden
ruin and distress no matter if we see the war of
elements the wreck OF matter, and the crush of
worlds journey through time is assured
success, Sanctifyng grace is the thing
sary. Possess that, and nothing else really matters
Possess that and death has no sting the grave has
no victory, the imminent bomb has no terror
There can be no question therefore about the
essential New Years resolution II should be
implemented by all Catholics, with practical
schedule for frequent and fervent receiving OF the
Sacraments, stated prayers, watehfulneSS acts of
penance For by these things grace is held and in.
Nfedseus anu SIN which RUNS grace Is dNuAuSu. n
general resolution to keep Gods grace is only pious
~ sentimental unless il be supported by clearly
enyisioned and purposive plan for keeping that
grace And thus the Great Resolution Is made
actual by the detailed and practical resolutions
which enforce IT,
There arc many incidental matters. to be sure,
that people often make the subject of New Years
resolutions These may have value; sometimes
they do have value But OF these is of much
significance If the Great Resolution is not first made
and teadfastly carried into effect OF what ultimate
is the avoiding OF minor yeerings if the whole
course of the ship is wrong?
The future is uncertain but its uncertainty is
moi threat to the person who is in the state of
grace The uncertainty is but the occasion Of high
adventure, Of stimulus to good matter how evil
the circumstances. The person in the state of grace
may look to the New Year with solid confidence
and high hope, he may justly enyison il the poet
Horatio Powers does in his lines
A flower unblown; book unread,
tree with fruit unharvested
A path untrod; house whose rooms
Lack yet the hearts divine perfumes;
landscape whose wide border lies
In silent shade meath silent skies.
wondrouS fountain yet unsealed.