The Family Circle

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XLIX, Issue 42, 26 October 1922, Page 53

The Family Circle

v JUST TWO KINDS OF PEOPLE. There are two kinds of people on earth to-day; Just two kinds of people, no more, I say. i Not the sinner and the saint, for ’tis well understood The good are half bad and the bad are half good. Not the rich and the poor, for, to count a man’s wealth You must first know the state of his conscience and health; Not the humble and proud, for, in life’s span, Who puts on vain airs is not counted a man. Not the happy and sad, for the swift flying years Bring each man his laughter and each man his tears. No, the two kinds of people on earth that I mean Are the people who lift and the people who lean. Wherever you go you will find the world’s masses Are always divided in just two classes; And, oddly, enough, you will find, too, I ween, There is only one lifter to twenty, who l lean. In which class are you? Are you easing the load Of overtaxed lifters who toil down 1 the road? Or are you a leaner, who lets others hear Your portion of labor and worry and care? GOD’S WORLD AND MAN’S WORLD. Here is a gem of thought well worth considering from an anonymous author: “It is not God’s world, with its love and friendship and little children, its fields and flowers, sea and sky, sunlight and starlight, and,sweet consolations of art and song, against which we are bidden to beware. No, it is man’s world —the world which devotes itself to gain, or to the wish to be somebody in society, to the frittering away of time in fashionable frivolity, or in struggling to outdo our neighbor, not in the purity of our lives or the dignity of our actions, but in our clothes, our carriages, and the company we keep. This world it is which cannot be rightly loved by one in whom dwelleth the love of the Father.” • , ' . THE LOVE OF GOD. Those who have learned to love the Divine Heart are taught day by day to appreciate more and more the wondrous love that was manifested towards the human race when Our Lord instituted the Holy Eucharist. Then learn, too, to form a right estimate of the coldness and indifference with which Our Lord is treated in this Sacrament of His Love ,and they are inspired with a desire not merely to cultivate a, tender affection in their own hearts, but to spread the devotion to all mankind.

Attendance at the daily Mass and Communion, if possible, or a daily visit to the Blessed Sacrament, reading spiritual books, are means by which we may foster devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, and by the influence of our example bring others to a closer union with God. To numberless Catholics in our day the reproach of Our Lord might "truthfully be .repeated: "There hath stood One in the midst of you whom you know not." So many act as if they were . unaware of the Sacred Presence patiently waiting in the tabernacle to receive the homage and love of His children. ' -■ ■■.'" /

i His return to lis on our altars at Mass, at Communion, is not simply that we might worship, but that the need we have of sweetness in religion might be amply supplied. We must approach His presence, gather about Him, for the refreshment of our lives, to break down the hideous monotony of our work, to add the brightness of love to the grey streets and greyer skies. Not holiness alone, but the beauty of holiness, is required to bind our hearts, our whole souls, to God. The .child, which with its wistful trust demands protection, asks for something more than strong defence; it needs also the . warm_ welcome of love.

And in so fat are we all children we need the gentleness and mercy of God to be made manifest, else .we shall bo too frightened to go on. If religion is to mean much ■to me, I. must approach the altar nf the sweetness of God that giveth joy to my youth, 1 THE FEAR OF DEATH: A RELIGION GOOD TQ DIE IN. There is an old saying, attributed to many authors, that the Catholic religion may not be an easy religion to live in, but is a good religion to die in. Bishop Vaughan, in the Irish Ecclesiastical Record, demonstrates the truth of the second half of this saying by interesting examples drawn from his own observation and from the history of Catholic deathbeds. To see how some great Catholics have faced the adventure of death is one of the best arguments for the truth of our holy religion, and a source of consolation to all mortals who must one day pass into their eternity. Death is a punishment justly inflicted by God on man on account of sin. Therefore it is but natural that man should stand in some fear of it. But it has been remarked as one of the mercies vouchsafed by our Heavenly Father that this fear, which persists as long as a man is in health, generally disappears when death actually approaches. Cardinal Manning’s explanation of this phenomenon is this: “So long as God intends a man to live, He instils into Him the fear of death • when He intends Him to die, He mercifully withdraws this fear,,so that most people at the very last deliver up their souls into the hands of God as peacefully and as calmly as a healthy child composes himself to sleep.” St. Teresa found that it was harder to suffer than to die. Indeed, St. Teresa, like St. Paul and other saints in whom the love of God had grown, so strong that they longed “to be dissolved and to be with Him,” had a fear of life rather than a fear of death. When Cardinal Wiseman was on his deathbed,” writes Bishop Vaughan, “he is reported to have said that he had no misgivings, but felt full of joy, like a schoolboy going home.” The great theologian, Suarez, during life had an almost abnormal fear of death; yet, when it was actually on him, he smiled as he exclaimed: “I little thought howsweet a thing it is to die.” - A few years ago a holy religious was dying, and one of his companions, after he had given him .Extreme Unction, asked him if he were not terrified at the thought of ■ meeting Our Divine Lord. “What!” he exxclaimed, “afraid to meet , Him Whom I have served and labored for during the past forty years, and Who is charity itself? Certainly not; I would be much more afraid to meet the Provincial.” Death may be regarded from two points of view: as a punishment :of original sin or as the especially appointed means of attaining our sublime destiny. Consideerd from the first point of view it is only natural that we should fear death and dread its approach, but from the second we should look forward to it as our friend and deliverer. A holy man once wrote that “although it be in anyone’s power to deprive thee of life, yet nobody,: not even the uncontrollable violence of kings, can deprive'' thee of ' death.” Pilot. ' ■ . 1 THE PALLID MOON. Oh, why is the moon in the purple sky So pallid white? , , ' A pageant of glory is going by That is Gods delight. ’ When the stars are glad, can the moon be sad In the middle night? 'i , ' Oh, the moon through the ages can never forgetA garden glade, , * And the Saviour’s robes all crimson wet , - In the ■ ugly, shade.. v . ' : ■ The shadowing hills and the shadowing trees All paint afresh bitter memories; • Gethsemane has made, ' .:. ' • Darrel Damien, in Messenger.

TEACHER’S IGNORANCE. The class was asked by the teacher to give the first letter of the name of a flower, and she would complete it. One pupil said “R.” The teacher guessed “Rose” correctly. Several others followed, with the same result, until one little girl said “O'.” The teacher guessed, but all in vain. After trying several names, she gave it up, and asked the author of the poser what flower she had in mind. Very proudly the ingenious scholar rose to her feet and glanced scathingly at the ignorant teacher. '“I means ‘ ’Olly’ock ’! she cried. HIS REASON. “I’ve often heard that virtu© is its own reward,” said an old gentleman to the writer, recently, “and. so I do not attempt to interfere with the arrangement in the fuure.” He had been crossing ho street, when a gust of wind removed his silk hat, which rolled under the wheels of a passing omnibus. : As the old gentleman picked tip his battered headgear he was greeted with a yell of laughter from a gang of boys at the corner of the street. ; Turning furiously, with the intention of reading his tormentors a lesson, the old gentleman paused as he found one boy wearing anything but a cheerful expression. “My boy,” he said effusively, “you’re the only little gentleman in the party. Here’s a shilling for you. Now, tell me, why didn’t you laugh with your companions?” Because, sir, replied the youngster, pocketing the coin, “I’d my back turned and didn’t see the fun!” SMILE RAISERS. Mother (to Bobby playing on the floor): “Bobby, how many times have I told you not to beat that drum?” Bobby: “Six, mother.” *? Mrs. de Smythe: “We had a lovely time last night. We had a box at the theatre.” Mrs. de Browne: “Yes? Chocolates, weren’t they? We saw you in the gallery eating something.” ■ 9 . Do you think, Professor,” said the ambitious youth, 'that I shall ever be able to do anything with my voice?” . “Well,” was the cautious ■ reply, “it may com© in handy to raise the neighborhood in case of invasion.” «P • { - A teacher, in reply to questions, stated that “trickling” was another word for running, and that “anecdote” meant a short tale. He then asked the children to construct a sentence containing these words. One of the answers was: “A dog was trickling down the street with a tin-can tied to its anecdote.” ep Teacher: “Willie, what is ratio?” Willie: “Ratio is proportion, sir.” Teacher: “But what is proportion?” Willie: “Why, sir, proportion is ratio.” Teacher: “But what are ratio and proportion both?” Willie: Im sorry, sir; but I can only answer one question at a time.” 1 9 . . “I say, old man,” inquired the friend, “do you meanto tell me that you like living in the country Now, be quite frank and honest about it—do you like it?” , “Of course I like it,” replied the host. “But tell me, i what do you find to do with yourself in the evenings out here?” “Oh, I go to town.”