The Family Circle

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 39, 14 October 1925, Page 61

The Family Circle

THE HOAD OF ONLY ONCE. ’Tis a solemn thought to ponder ’Mid our daily joys and cares, Whilst we work, or weep, or wander, At onr play or at our prayers; ’Tis a saintly sage’s warning, Ever old, yet ever new; I am walking by a pathway I shall never more pursue. I can tread it once — once only; Tread it well —or tread it ill; Wend my selfish course; or lonely, Join the many of good will; But, ne’er my steps retracing. Can I life’s mistakes undo, For I’m walking by a pathway I shall never more pursue. There are sick ones by the roadside, Weary pilgrims, crippled sore; There are poor ones, there are sad ones, There are sinful ones galore. Shall I bring them help or hindrance? Bless or ban the helpless crew? Life and death are in this pathway I shall never more pursue. If the good that there awaits me Be neglected or ill-done; If the evil there that tempts me I have no desire to shun; Woe is me ! alas! forever, My lost graces shall I me, Heav’n or hell must end this pathway I shall never more pursue. Eleanor C. Donnelly. V", THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST. Life is a mission. Its end is not the search after happiness, but the knowledge and fulfilment of duty. Duty is not enjoyment; it is devotedness; and devotedness is that gift of God to him wherein the spirit of Christ toils for the good of others. There are saint-like lives and martyr deaths which are not recorded, and are worth all the more in God’s sight because unsusaiued by human admiration. There are men who have given up ambitious hopes because the paths to success were crooked and evil, who out of their necessities, have still found something with which in Christ’s name to help , those still poorer. There are gentle and believing hearts that bear for others what they would not for themselves and multitudes of energetic and heroic souls scattered among a. myriad homes whose lives are governed by God’s holy law of service to their neighbor. How like the one described by the Prophet Isaias are these; “He took our infirmities; and bore onr diseases.” , RESULTS OF EXAMPLE. “How careful we Catholics should lie about 1 the example we give! says a well-known convert to the Church. ‘On one occasion; ~ L was obliged to share my room in a crowded' r.TTtel with a fellow-traveller, who, like ray- ' self, was a stranger in the city. Bfefiore going to bed, I knelt down and said a. few prayers. Next morning he asked me if I were a Catholic. I answered, “Yes y a;- convert to the Church.” He made no reply.

but it was a turning-point in his* life; for I learned some time afterward, through a priest, that, reflecting on ray simple act of religion, he had returned to the faith of his fathers, which he had long abandoned, and tiled a holy and happy death.’ The story reminds us of an incident in the life of Cardinal Mermillod, the eminent Swiss prelate who died in 1892. Upon leaving his cathedral one night, ho was astonished at being accosted by a. non-Oatholic lady, who had concealed herself in the building in order, as she informed him, to convince herself that he really believed in the Blessed Sacrament. Observing him when he supposed himself to be alone in the church, and seeing the reverence and devotion with which he genuflected and prayed before the tabernacle, she became convinced of the genuineness of his faithand her conversion followed. Ave Maria. TO GOD. With the following exhortations, St. Francis de Sales brings to a close his exquisite little work, Consoling Thoughts — a book for those who suffer. “It is with all my heart I say the word, Adieu. To God may you ever belong in this mortal life, serving Him faithfully in the midst of the pains we all have in carrying our crosses, and in the immortal life, blessing Him eternally with all the celestial court. The greater good of onr souls is to he with. God; and the greatest good, to be with Cod alone. He who is with God alone is never sad, unless for having offended God, and his sadness then consists in a. profound but tranquil and peaceful humility and submission, after which he rises again in the Divine goodness by a sweet and perfect confidence, without chagrin or vexation. He who is with God alone seeks only God, and because God is no less in tribulation than in prosperity, he remains in peace during times of adversity. . He who is with Go& alone thinks often of Him in the midst of the occupations of this life. Union With God. He who is with God alone would be glad that everyone should know he wishes to serve God and to he engaged in exercises suitable to keep him united to God. Live, then, entirely to God; desire only to please Him, and to please creatures only in Him and’ for Him. What greater blessing ■can I wish for you? Thus, then, by this continual wish I make for your soul, I say, Adieu. To God let ns belong, without end, without reserve, without measure, as He is ours forever. May we always unite our little crosses with His great one! To God let us live, and to God without anything more, since out of Him, and without Him, we seek for nothing; no, not even ■ourselves. Who, indeed, out of Him, and without Him, are only true nothings. Adieu. I desire for you the abundance of

Divine love, which is and will he forever the only good of our hearts, given to us only for Him Who lias given His Heart entirely to Us. Let Jesus be our crown ! Let Mary be our hope!” ty&CKKKVO. ABOUT VOCATION. “What is required to lie a Sister?” This is a burning question for many young people who are looking about for their life’s work. They have experienced the inward call of Christ and they would like to make up their minds to he religious, but they fear that the life would be too difficult or that they have not the necessary qualities to lie a good religious. As a matter of fact, commonsense ought to teach them that if they are good average. Catholic girls, with piety and virtue’ they are quite able to lead the life of a Sister and be happy therein. What is needed for this holy vocation is simply the fitness and the interior willingness, that is the qualities of mind and body necessary to do the work of the Sisters and a spirit of self-sacrifice required to leave all and follow Christ. The one is the result of God’s Providence, the other the fruit of His grace. There are many, many thousands of Catholic Sisters teaching in the schools, nursing in hospitals, engaged in divers blessed ministries (says the Boston Pilot). Out of 20,000.000 of American Catholics, it would be impossible to find so many exceptional and wonderful characters. Therefore, most of the good Sisters who arc doing such admirable work for God and the Church and their native land, were good ordinary Catholic girls who possessed goodness enough to wish to become a Sister and received grace from God to enter and persevere. There must he hundreds of thousands of Catholic girls at this time who could be Sisters if they so desired. THE HOLY ROSARY. Sweet chain of sacred mysteries; So full of unctuous grace, The secrets deep-heart-hidden, ■ Of all human race, Its joys and sorrows, weal and woo, Are linked in thy embrace. Thy heads through childhood’s' fingers slip To count life’s sunny years, Or mark the heart’s uncertain beats Of manhood’s hopes and fears. Or drop from weary trembling hands, As,drop a widow’s tears. Each beadlet ns it glides adown The Ave-freighted chain, Brings hope and light in darkest night, And balm for direst pain. Or tunes the soul to higher joy And more celestial strain. So to the end of time, ’twill be! Thy circling links must hold The secrets of the human heart, Its mysteries untold, Inwoven with Thy mysteries Of white. and red and gold.

REMINDED. “The storm burst upon us so suddenly and violently that we had no warning of its approach,” said the tornado victim, relating his experiences to a friend. “In an instant the house was demolished and scattered to the four winds. How I escaped being torn to , pieces, I do not know ! We- ” “G — gracious!” said Mr. Meeke, jumping to his feet. “That reminds me! I—l almost forgot to post a letter for my wife!” WHY SHE CROSSED. It was a hot day and the policeman on point duty was having a busy time with the traffic. Suddenly he saw a dear old woman looking across at him, so he obligingly held up, one bus, four cars, two motor-bikes, and a. lorry, in order to let her cross. She toddled up to him, and the policeman bent to hear her request. “It’s all right, constable,” she said. “I only thought you would like to know that the number on your collar is the number of my favorite hymn.” SMILE RAISERS. “Johnny,” said the teacher, “an abstract noun is something you think of but can’t touch. Give me an example.” “A hot poker,” was the quick reply. V “Yes, I want a good useful boy,” said the grocer, “to be partly outside and partly inside.” “But what will happen to me if the door slams?” asked the new boy. Old Lady; “Guard, I hope there won’t be any collisions.” Railway Guard: “Oh, no fear, mum.” Old Lady: “I want you to be very careful. I’ve got two dozen eggs in this basket.” IS When the waiter said to the Professor of English, “Did you say pudden, sir?” the enraged diner answered, “I did not—and I hop© I never shall.” 9 A doctor was talking with some friends. “Yes,” he said, “the secret of health is the eating of onions.” “But,” said a practical member, “how are you going to keep it a secret?” * Pompous Person: “Let me see, —what was the date of ah—Battle of Waterloo?” Smart Boy at Seaside: “Excuse me. I came down here to get away from that sort of thing.” ▼ Teacher: “Now, Tommy, tell us what the index finger is.” Tommy: “Yes’m; it’s that ’uu you lick when you turn over the pages.”