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Show THE LAY COADJULOR. As a rule the Catholic who goes to Mas?" on Sunday and makes his Easter duty is content, because he. has fulfilled ful-filled the letter of the law, but why should one rest content with the mere satisfaction of the law's letter? The generous man, the whole-souled man. is he who seeks the spirit of an obligation. Considered in this light, the Catholic layman could, if he would, be of inestimable assistance to his pastor. pas-tor. There are so many ways wherein he could be a valuable coadjutor. It is "unfortunate that so many of our Catholic Cath-olic people hesitate at initiative when their assistance would work so much good in the parish. The priest is always al-ways a hard worked man. He is the only man in the world who is always at the beck and call of hit people. There is no moment in his life that he can call his own. The troubles and vicissitudes of his people are always his concern. The parish is a large family fam-ily of which he is not only the spiritual father, but in many cases the one whose advice is necessary in temporal and material things. All this is sufficient suf-ficient to tax to the utmost the energies ener-gies of the strongest. This thought will come home to us with force when we consider that the average life of the priests ordained in one of our leading seminaries has been less than five years. This is a startling consideration. It means that countless priests have sacrificed themselves even unto death for the sake of their people. It illustrates a devotion to duty unparalleled un-paralleled in the history of the world. Are not such men worthy of all consideration con-sideration at the hands of the people whom they so devotedly serve? Are -they not, entitled to all thi helD and assistance which generous hearts can i give? Consider for a moment the great burden of the administration of the church' temporalities. This it is that sends so many priests to early graves and makes them old before their years. Herein is the opportunity for lay assistance. as-sistance. The laity should not wait on the priest's suggestion as to the best means for raising funds and lightening the heavy burden of the paster. In countless ways the well disposed layman lay-man can engender and foster a. spirit of support among the people of the parish, that will redound to its welfare. wel-fare. ' If such a spirit as this were well developed de-veloped in the church, it is obvious that the clergy would be more powerful for good and the effect in the country would be marked. For after all it is not the mission of the priest to spend his days in the erection of churches and the payment therefor. He has a higher and a nobler mission than this. It is to inculcate the Spirit of Christ among the people, and when he is not restricted by temporal worries wor-ries and cares he becomes in proportion propor-tion as these are lessened the embodiment embodi-ment of his mission. The Intermountain Catholic, therefore, there-fore, urges on its readers actions in conformity with the thoughts herein suggested. a. |