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Show Iwcb Universal CHURCH CALENDAR. 1G.-T. St. Gall.-5S5.829 for the clcr- 17. W. St. Hedvipe. Bl. Margaret 1 Mary. 462.030 for religious. IS. Th. St. Luke. 405,691 for semi-It semi-It narists. novices. I 19. F. St. Peter of Alcantara. 530,- 54G for vocations. i 20. S. St. John of Kenty. 421,754 for parishes. 1 21. 20th after Pent. St. Ursula and ( ''-'ir.p.-K. Eph. v. 15-21; G. St. John iv. 46-4.3. 394.023 for schools. I 22. M. St. Mary Salome. 372,266 for i? superiors. f j THE GENERAL INTENTION j Recommended by His Holiness, Pius X. i October is Hie beginning of the book pea son; it is for the press what the harvest is for the farmer. Do we realize real-ize the importance of the press? In 1842. M. Cremieux addressed these I memorable words to the Masonic f lodges: "Think nothing of monev, of position, of popularity; the press is J pverything; buy the press, and you will j be masters of public opinion, you will I iule the land." Business men. too, i l;now the importance of the press; if they invest thousands and even millions if rif dollars in advertising, they know it is but bread cast upon ' the running waters, which will return to them with interest. The effect of the press is not lf-ss in our moral and religious life than I m our political and commercial iJ schemes. There are books that have produced more Saints than they con-Jain con-Jain letters,, and there are publications that have ruined the faith and purity ''f millions of souls. It is true that j we profess to practice the apostleship -f prayer, but let us not forget that I the apostleship of the press is not less ! real. The one is interior, the other ex-l ex-l tciioj; but the one must le coupled with the other in order to produce its i adequate effects. It has been said that St. Paul would become a journalist, if he ui rc to exercise his apostolic ministry minis-try in our days. To christianize the -:. press, to propagate good reading, is equivalent to the exercise of a St. ' Paul's own work of zeal. Bad books, pamphlets, reviews and papers must be reduced in every possible way. It is not necessary that we should buy more reading matter than we have been accustomed ac-customed to do; but it is necessary that we should buy better books and magazines mag-azines than have done hitherto. We need not increase our reading time, but we must improve our reading matter. Tell me what you read, and I shall tell you what you are. BEFORE OUR LADY'S ALTAR. (Written for The Intermountain Catholic, Cath-olic, and republished owing to typographical typo-graphical error in last issue.) I kneel to thee, oh Mary. Thou, the presanctified; The mother of our Lord, the Christ, He who was crucified. I plead to thee for pity; Forgive thy erring child; Turn not away thy loving face. t Sweet Mother, meek and mild. j The sword that pierced thy virgin 1 i heart ' Has entered into mine. ' Pray for me. Mother of Sorrows, j I Pray to thy Son Divine. I leave at last the sacred place. My heart is free from pain. I Fur those who plead to Mary I Will never plead in vain, j V. H. L. W. I THE KNIGHT'S TEST. (By F. E. R.) As once in darkness and unrest I stood And all around intensified my mood; Sudden, from where I knew the light still cheered. These words, inquiring of my Faith, I heard: "How hast thou, erst in childhood made to hear. Conserved God's 'talent' trusted to thy t care? Hast thou with well-due toil, productive j made The treasure bought as price so dearly paid? Canst thou the guiding precepts here explain Which taught in youth should govern all its gain?" I trembled at the words and, feebly said : "Somewhere within I have this 'talent' laid. But cares of earth so burden all my ways That now I know not where it hidden la ys. Xor can I here recall the teachful laws By which this 'talent' all its Increase draws: In darkness and distress I sorely grieve And no meet answer to thy words can I give. I Thn all the pitying air seemed filled j with sound Of perfumed wings which fragrance shed around. And mi my troubled spirit gently fell The tones that heavenly Love and Mercy tell "Mortal: courage take, invoke God's power. Mercy lives while Faith is yet secure. Penitence a further test demands, Leaving still the 'talent' in thy hands. Future years by greater zeal must prove How sincere thy present grief and love. I E'en as they who slept thro' Christ's worst gloom. From their lapse more zealous did become: be-come: I stood reprieved, resolved my ways to right", 4 Xmv blest bv inner and by outer light. Ogdfii. Sept. 8, 1906. An Effective Argument. Une of the biographers of St. Francis ie Sales tells of a home Ihrust once given by that gentle prelate with ex-eellent ex-eellent results. The bishop had been laboring for ome time for the conversion conver-sion of an elderly Calvinist lady, who constantly importuned him about controversial con-troversial matters. Finally, she began ailing upon him every day, asking for the solution of this or that new doubt which had arisen in her mind. Al- though the bishop could not see that i he was making much progress in bring ing her into the church, he listened to hi- with unfailing patience. One day, at last, she declared that her only remaining difficulty va; about the celibacy of the clergy. St. Francis xplained that the celibate life was necessary to clerics in order that, being free from the care of a family, 'bey might the better serve the people. "For instance. Madam," he continued, "you will readily understand that lf I lj;id a wife and children to take care cf I should be unable to talk w ith you fo often about your religious difficulties." The causticity of the remark was lost in the gentleness of Us delivery; ?nd the force of the argument did what theological discussions had hitherto failed of doing. The lady was forthwith forth-with converted. Ave Maria. |