SINS OF SOCIETY

New Zealand Tablet, 13 November 1913, Page 45

SINS OF SOCIETY

MATRIMONY AND YOUNG MEN Advice to men, especially those not yet married, was tendered by Very Rev. Father O'Connell, S.M., at St. Mary's Catholic Church recently in a sermon on social evils of the day. There was a crowded congregation, 90 per cent, of ■ those present being men (says the Christchurch Press). The preacher, after describing the abode of Joseph of Nazareth as the model home, said that he presumed most of the congregation were either married men or thinking about getting married. It was God's decree that man should be head of the family ; therefore he must exercise authority in the home. It must be an authority regulated by the spirit of religion, executed according to the principles of justice and right reason, and the father and the master must be a model of virtue and self-respect. If he respected himself, he would respect his wife and children. The life of virtue which he practised in the home would extend far out into the world wherever he exercised his influence,

and wherever he worked. He would be a model of truthfulness and honesty, he would give the best that was in him, his best skill in every way to the advancement of his employer’s undertaking. He would be keen in looking after his employer’s business. When they looked around they found that a great number of men did not understand the responsibilities of life. We were living in dangerous times. There was the great question of Capitalism versus Labor, and there was the so-called Socialism. Working-men were rising up against their employers, demanding that which was unjust, and causing an upheaval in social life. Every man must be well paid and receive a living wage, but in the spirit that prevailed to-day, when men hated everything that was lowly, there was a chance of raising a hatred of that which was the Christianity of Jesus Christ. In the world to-day men were living to gratify merely their own whims, and spending all their money on themselves. There were young men earning good wages, £3 or £4 a week, who were not married. Ask them how they spent their hard-earned wages. Alas ! very often the answer was that they had saved nothing with which to begin the responsibilities of life. Very many young men just lived to gratify the animal enjoyments of life. Let thfem go that night and see the young men wasting their money in the bars of hotels. They would say they were not drunk, and he quite believed them. But there was that abominable habit of ‘ shouting ’ and drinking. They thought nothing_ of spending 4s of a night, just in ‘ treating ’ their friends. Then they went to the races and speculated on horses. He did not complain of a man who took his drink, in reason, or a man who put a shilling or two on a horse, provided he had no creditor waiting for his money and it was within his means, but there was in the world to-day among young men too much of throwing away their money and wasting their time. They seemed to lack the spirit of grit that was in their fathers.

There was a spirit of recklessness on the part of young men. They would not marry because of this, and they were not willing to begin married life just as their parents did : they wanted to start just where their parents left off. Let there be a desire on the part of young men to marry. . Another great evil of the* world was a horror of suffering. It was to be found principally in the'married state. The primary object of marriage was to bring into this world strong, vigorous, healthy children. God gave to no man the right to determine the number of children he should have. In this day of luxury, through the evil of prosperity, the great evil was practised, known as race siucide. Father O’Connell also dwelt upon the forgetfulness of business men and others towards God.