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Show THE NEW YEAR. i j The New Year suggests the turning j over of a new leaf. If the account of j the past Is against us, let us strive to j turn the balance in our favor. The'res- ' olution for this year should be, for the i bad to become good, for the good to be come better. In the spiritual life not to advance is to go back. Each day should find a man farther on his way to heaven. This progress, however, must be the work of grace; for of ourselves I we can do nothing. If, then, we wish J ( to improve, we must pray and faith-' faith-' fully use all the means for improvement improve-ment which the church furnishes. - t ' , Prayer is necessary at all times, but the earnest Christian will never let morning or evening pass without a tribute of lowly homage to his Maker, ij . Many a Catholic who, as a boy, never i omitted his morning or evening prayers, i f now that he is a man, will scarcely 1 f bless himself before or after his rests' rest-s' If it was a good, helpful thing for the J boy, surely it has not ceased to be good Iand helrful for the man; nay, it should be even more necessary, in view of the I trials and dangers of manhood. I Necessary, most necessary to Chris- I ' tian perfection, is the constant, devout I j frequentation of the sacraments. The I sacraments have been instituted by i ' Christ as the channels of grace. They I are the ordinary sources of divine I power, and it Is through them the J strength that man lives in comes. To I receive them with profit, there must be iduf preparation. The mans who approach ap-proach them must approach with fear and trembling, that they may become be-come useful to the interests of his soul. It will render this approach all the inore profitable, if the mind keep full - of the thought that there is but one thing necessary, that if a man gains the whole world and loses his soul he loses everything. Very little reflection will satisfy a man of this great truth. - But to make it effective, and opera- tie at all times, the soul must keep j w ithin the stale of grace. To this, in the ordinary course of God's dispensa- 1 tion, fTpacraments are the jieciffusary 4 moans. It the purpose and resolve of the New Ye-nr be to work out our sal-j sal-j , vati.-'n with faith, hope, charity and an ! j' untiring earnestness. Let the voice of. ,; the Tr a! mist be that each of us: "Now I begln.'this is a change from the right ; hand of the Most High."' |