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Show KEEP SUNDAY HOLY. It is the duty of a Catholic to go to mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation, ob-ligation, unless excused by a geed reason. rea-son. This every Catholic knows, or ought to know. Generally, too. Catholics Catho-lics understand that they do not fulfill the obligation of keeping Sunday holy by merely rushing in a hurry to maas ini the morning and, as if getting rid of a disagreeable task, spending the rest of the day smothered up in sensational sen-sational newspapers, or speculating on pureJy material en-ds. It is seriously to be deplored that many Catholics are satisfied with this way of spending Sunday. It is not meant that the whole day is to be passed on one's knees, or in the recitation of long prayers; but it is meant that of this day a considerably consid-erably greater portion than on secular days should be occupied by practices cf pieity. Hearing mass devoutly, saying say-ing the beads, reading the lives of the saints, not the lives of Dick Tumins and Jay Goulds; inspiring by Christian stories the love of God in children, a Catholic family should live its Sunday in an atmosphere of Christian devotion. devo-tion. How delightful it is to see good parents surrounded by their children, the father spending a portion of the day instilling sound Catholic principles on the minds of his bright, inquiring children; the mother, by her sympathetic sympa-thetic presence, lending a sweet influence in-fluence to her husband's words; and the children, in the plastic days of childhood, drinking into their souls the saving draughts of wisdom. Thus the indoor life of a good Catholic family passes; and when the Sundays out or outings come, the family go together and enjoy in unison of feeling the beauties of nature. In union is strength, and families thus united are permanently happy. On the other hand, how suggestive it is not of happinesSf ito see families split up. I each member following his own sweet will on the day of. rest. Such families give bad examples, and are cf no value to Christendom. It is in order to observe ob-serve a fact painfully noticeable that very many heads of families sekiom if ever assist at the last, which is Sunday's Sun-day's parish mass. Has not the head of a family a soul to save? Must he not hear the word of God preached? Does he think that he can neglect the interests of his soul with impunity? A sensible Catholic will never trifle with his most solemn interests. Time must be well spent to be a proper preparation prepara-tion for eternity. To give these reflections reflec-tions a practical turn it is suggested, and the suggestion is eminently seasonable sea-sonable just now, that Catholic parents par-ents should beware of falling into the habit of staying away, as if systematically, system-atically, from last mass on. Sunday. ! True it is those who stay away year in and year out from last mass, i who are oppressed with a wealth of Christian knowledge. A sermon will pot hlp ta expand their spiritual vis- i ion. arid perhaps put. them in a good Christian, frame of mind, which is a delightful tompan n for Sunday or week day. It is qr.ite practicable for a family or' a few nxmhcri to distributor otcupatinr.s and. divisional of timn so that t!i? sa inn per.-iun, esiet:ially if j tiifT head of the h, n.v.hoId. shall not le;-orae conspicuous, by his or her ab-: ab-: s.tk-o fr.rn th- last? rnass. It i-a not too. j much to s-iy t'.iat when chiMsvn have j tlH'" ':i:;!' ssi-.i !'... ;!. rainds stamps I j early in !i:V w it;., th. picture of f xther ijn'1 rr:,:th' '' habit .tally juing to and re-j re-j turning ivnx la.-t mas on Sunday, tlKV WiU jj! i;i!n!c bi ,,,,, by pU(.h a ble.-ved .-xampie. to g, a-;d d likewise. like-wise. There mny i.,. ex,- ,ti: tis. Children Chil-dren are net always. t,, g.,0,i, ba,j as pavn.!,., but the prudent parent will follow the fl.nr;M, c,,rse ia t!; matter mat-ter and appreciate the on th:-; n-ees-s:ry- When they do f tii ehiMrou, what th- hearing of s.-r.ens ;iri l t!v pronef.- dispos-al of tin;., on SurH.ty will keep before tiui- m;n.Lsi. they v.iU hav-i well discharged their duties. Vw, b. -gan with the remark -that a Catholic, j., bonnK.l tvgo to mass every Mmday a;:,l holy djy of obligation unless excuse i by a good mason, and we conclude, by 1 repeating the p.imo observation with thr-j little variation, that the obligation, Parents to go to, this. 1,-u.t mas i.s .urgent.' and that there is no gool reason rea-son why the lu-adM cf families; should habitually ahaent themselves- from it. |