The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1955-11-25
Just Among Ourselves
Passing Comment Considered or lneonsidsrats

Christmas Day The four weeks commemorate
the four thousand years from Adam to the Re-
deemer. The children of God waited with un-
abated longing for the coming of Our LORD.
They did penance, too, for the sin of nature
which the first man committed, and for their own
actual sins.
We make Advent also in preparation for the
second coming of the Redeemer as the Judge
of the world. The time of that second coming
is not revealed to us; I'VE know not the oay
nor the hour" But we think of it. And we think
of Our Lords coming at the end of our own IN
diyidual lives; we think of particular judgment
as we'll as of general judgment. Thoughts that
are seasonal in Advent are very safutary for us;
they help nightly in work of getting, or
keeping, our lives in proper line
Advent and Christmas point up for us the
lesson of the Two Masters, and the intensity oil
the worldly wisdom of the children of this
world Christians must be stirred to the OBJ
seryance of Advent: worldly folk rush to cele-
brate their own Advent Ours is an Advent OF
four weeks; theirs is an Advent of about three
months. We look to the coming OF the SAVIOR
in memory, and in appreciation. they look 10
the coming OF financial harvest We labor
languidly for spiritual gain they work with tire
less energy for material profit, THE children
of this world are wiser IN their generation than
the children of light"
The warm and sunny days of October are not
over when the Christmas decorations go up IN
the big department stores. II is long before any
one could reasonably hope to hear the Christmas
bells but it is not Judged too early to speed up
the tempo Of the bells on eashregisters. Many
long week must pass and whole seasonal
change must occur before the householder VIII
cry Deck the halls with boughs OF holly But
there is no delay in the mercantile shout OF, Deck
for fho M
trade"
The spirit of Christmas is good thing. But
the spirit of merely giving at Christmas mas
no merit The expression of unselfishnesS, of
self.sacrifice OF care for feowmen Is most
worthy. and when this spirit is born of love
for Christ it takes on value beyond all esti-
mate But the ignoring of Christ together with
the taking of His Birthday as the occasion Tor
spending money in lavish display is merely
queer ALTERATION of human conduct.
Advent is meant to be a preparation for
the celebration of Christmas, that Is, OF the
Birth of Our Lord and Redeemer. The appeal
OF the time is TO the soul, to the mind and the
will There is. of course, an appeal also to the
finer feelings the noble emotions. There is even
an appeal for the more earthly expressions OF
delight which will find on Christmas Day. their
realization in the aboundng table and the was
sail bowl But Advent has really nothing to DO
with expectations or celebrations or expedit
tures that have no slightest reference to christ
To know the worlds Advent look at your big
shops, at your magazines, at your newspapers
A neatly packed decanter Of whiskey with
sprig of holly attached (by the ads) means
Advent and Christmas to the distiller-and pre-
sumably to the distillee. new refrigerator with
hypothenuse of wide red ribbon-here is the
nr md
manufacturer A new car-with forward, upward,
and lateral look-presented at the front door
by fat and fatuous Santa TO a family composed
mostly Of teeth and hair and legs,-here you
have the Chistmas and Advent of the motor In
dustry.
During Advent Christians are to look for
Christ, and by rededicaton of their lives to
: form themselves in His image. During Advent
anticipated and heightened by more than Two
months-the world OF business looks Tor Cash,
and. by unwearied devotion to the best business
methods, builds up the bank account.
The commerciaizing of Christmas, and of
Advent is a deeply regrettable thing, but 1t
must not be charged against the merchants and
manufacturers and advertisers exclusively. These
gentlemen are not without grave fault, to be
sure. But the people who do the buying, the
Christmas shoppers, the more responsible
cause OF the abuse, IL is true lnal the puTNeyOIs
Of goods do more than supply what people de.
mand the same purveyors teach the people
what to want and thus insure the demand. Yet
the people are to be strongly blamed for letting
themselves be so softly receptive TO the teach
ing of purveyors
From morning to night, and most OF the night
too. people with things to sell keep mploring
all other people to buy these things. They beg
everyone to srush headlong into debt. They as
sure all hearers that almost anything may be
had for a small down.payment (or none at alb
and an insignificant outlay each week--not men
tioning the number of weeks II is all about as
sane as Sid Caesars proposal to buy $500 ring
by paying 5000 down. and dollar a month for
1900 months-that is for something over 108
years.
To the foolish person who listens to,
and heeds, the suave solicitations of the
Purveyors, the Money Lenders the Install
ment Boys. the Subscription Gents, the Gift-of.
the.Week Lads and allathe rest, Advent means,
at least among other things, the coming of
the Big Debt There ought to be new series of
carols for the Gullible GusseS who entangle
themselves in the tolls prepared by the big
devotees of the fast buck. Here are two tentative
offerings
II came upon an autumn day
That joyous whoop we hear:
"0h, LET us lay your gift away,
You pay for il next yearl"