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Show LENT. x We Catholics should be careful how we keep the coming Lent. Careful for our own sakes, first of all, since we are not hypocrites; but careful also for the sake of others who need our good example. ' The Lent of the society folk, whose doings will be duly chronicled in the. papers, is not Lent, any more than "Parsifal" is religion. A good Catholic said to us recently, "There's no longer any Lent." He referred to the modifications modifica-tions made by the Church in recent years, suiting her discipline regarding the fast, abstinence and kind of food to climate, age and the labor some must perform: even extending her indulgence to the families of those who have to toil. Ah, but very many families are still bound by the Lenten regulations regarding the kind and quantity of food; many who dislike fish and eggs, and who get headaches from fasting and abstaining. abstain-ing. Let all conscientious Catholics who have any doubts about their exception from the law apply to their confessors, who do not take it upon themselves them-selves to exempt themselves. We know very many hard-working Catholics who live up to these regulations very strictly, refusing to be exempted or dispensed. Lent means many things besides fasting and abstaining. Lent is a time of almsgiving; a time to remember the poor. Lent is a time to mortify the senses, as well as the appetites; a time to deny ourselves unnecessary pleasures and amusements; a time to withdraw as far as possible from the public. pub-lic. The best Catholics never attend the theater during Lent. Their names are never seen among those who attend balls and dances during Lent. Innocent In-nocent recreations and amusements of a private character, say at home or at the home of a friend these are a virtual necessity. But public affairs we deem quite contrary to the spirit of the holy season. Lent is a time of prayer; a time to increase and fortify our faith. In this respect the Lent is a stict and prime, necessity to every Catholic; most needful in these days of spiritual slough and unrest. un-rest. Hate and prejudice may be dying out in the world, but more subtle and potent enemies to our faith have taken their places. lleason, unregenerated, blinded by conceit and self-admiration, a god unto itself, is at work, most bitter and unrelenting. The penny press is doing its deadly work, reaching even the poor and illiterate. illit-erate. Catholics must be on the lookout; alert and resourceful; re-sourceful; stanch and unwavering. Lent, with its devotional exercises, its special sermons, its great feasts culminating in Holy Week and the glories of Easter, is the period every soul needs; to retire within itself, to think, to meditate, to pray; to imitate imi-tate Christ; to tone up the spiritual life of the soul; to make it vigirous, active and strong. Catholics will be urged by their priests to keen, Lent strictly in this regard at least, however leniently leni-ently the laws of fast and abstinence may apply to many of them. They will be urged to come to the devotional exorcises and sermons., and to live strictly up to the spirit of self-denial in their recreations and pleasures. pleas-ures. Lent is still Lent to the sincere Catholic.'' The giddy, thoughtless .throng will continue during dur-ing these weeks to pursue the phantom pleasure; they will, as usual, eat. drink and be merry. The sincere Catholic will retire from the crowd, will set up Christ in his heart, will curb his appetites appe-tites and learn to deny himself. |
