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Show : gfturcft Universal I DEVOTION TO THE SAINTS. ndulgenced General Intention for November. X It i not surprising tht the Holyi j Father has asked the members of the j . L-r-agrue of the Sacred Heart to pray! fervently for a widespread increase of j devotion to the saints. Xo one who has followed attentively the course of his pontificate can fail to observe the j w zeal and energy with which he has on- deavorcd to enkindle in all hearts that i i ( fir? of divine love which burned so ar il dently in the souls of the saints. He I :- t would have us understand that what is I most needed 5n order to restore all J thinps in Christ is not profound learn- ing or skill in controversy or even zeal for souls, but rather true and sincere i holiness of life. He wishes us all first ' to reform our own souls and to adorn r k - them with sanctity before we proceed i to convert others. Charity, he would I remind us, begins at home." If each and j every Catholic would take ua in ear- nest the work of sanctifying his own i soul and making: it more and more pleasing to God. the task of con vert ins j manknid to the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ would with the help of God's grace become comparatively easy. i The church has always been solicitous ! J in urging due homajre and veneration to the saints. They are the choicest products of her labors and the living rroof of the efficacy of her doctrines, her precepts and her means of gTaci ' In the lives of the saints we see the ! practical results whir h the Catholic re- j ligion is capable of accomplishing: in elevating human beings like ourselves I to a plane of noble, sublime, and god- y like life. The church rejoices in their achievements because they show forth j her divinely given power to sanctify i mankind and thus promote the glory of God. As v e all know, her chief aim, ihe very reason of her existence, is the sanrtificption of souls. For the attainment attain-ment of this end she received from our i Divine Lord her three-fold office and authority as teacher, priest ajid pastor. i Ptrongly as she insists on faith in all j i her doctrines, the worthy reception of ivk I her sacraments, and obedience to her -JTV laws, she reminds us that all these are I i '4 subsidiary o Ihe hcarity or sunernat- ful'h 1,ral 'ove of God and our neighbor in 4 iV which holiness essentially consists. t -3 V-" "What the church principally intends. 1 t however, in recommending devotion to r-)J the saints. Is that we should iniitale Z ' ' " 'heir example. This implies that Ve should rcgrad them as our models and 4 .VJ . ' endeavor to follow closely in their foot- - t" steps, as they followed in the footsteps of Jesus and Mary. To do this is not 0. so difficult as it appears at first sight. ( v. God s grace will never be wanting to us if we ask for it. and -with the help of that grace sanctity can be attained in any walk of life. Christian perfection perfec-tion consists in perfect charity in the j complete dominion of divine love over J all our thoughts, words, desires and ac- i tions. This charity becomes perfect -f when it has banished from our hearts I not only what is contrary to charity j mortal sin but also whatever prevents j " from giving our hearts wholly to God. Be our state of life what it may, w am In the path of the saints if we J truly love God above all things and are free from inordinate attachment to i ihe world and to self, so that we love 5 all things else, only in their relation to it God. This was the secret of success I in the saints, and it is within our reach completely as it was in theirs. Let J us but strive to imitate them and God's I help will not be lacking to assist us in i "r efforts. Keeping in view the supernatural super-natural motive which inspired them, . and praying as they did for divine " grace, we can sanctify and render mer- ilorious even the most trivial duties and ordinary actions of our daily lives, i As devotion to the saints becomes more j earnest and widespread among all . classes, the resolution to imitate their I example will become more universal, and the result will be a great increase of love for God and for the Sacred Heart of our Divine Lord. I One of the most important effects of I devotion to the saints is that it places I clearly before our minds the true and I proper ideals or standards of life. There is a strong tendency in all of us toward hero-worship, and it makes a j. groat difference who, and of what char- s aoter the heroes are. The world has its ' j great men whom it honors, whose deeds I it recounts, whose memory It cherishes , k and whose achievements it holds up to i the admiration and imitation of others. , -4 Why should not the church' in like t .-. manner have her heroes of the cross to - . whom her children may look ip as to 7 their models, and from the consideration considera-tion of whose lives they may derive f- strength and inspiration in the battle v y of life? AVhen we honor the world's J .' heroes, however deserving they may be t of our respect from a natural point of j view, there is always the danger that V we may be. led astray by false or inade- quate standards of life, and this danger Vf is avoided or counteracted by due ven- V eration of the saints. For we are thus i-i reminded that the true aim of life is ' not to acquire honor or wealth or fame or any form of earthly happiness, but i- - to know, love and serve God. and to love our neighbor for God's sake. Mes- senffer of the Sacred Heart. Query Column. For the saying of the Rosarv, the beautiful prayers found in all prayer books may be recited bf fore vich decade de-cade of Hail Marys. It is not necessary though to read the prayers, but you must meditate on the mysteries of tht-rosary. tht-rosary. The mysteries are, first, the Five Joyful, the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Nativity, the Presentation Presenta-tion and the Finding in the Temple. The Sorrowful mysteries are. first, the Agony in the Garden, the Scourayinfi at the Pillar, the Crowning of Thorns, the Carrying of the Cross and the Crucifixion. Cru-cifixion. The five Glorious Mysteries are. first, the Resurrection, the Ascension, Ascen-sion, the Descent of the Holy Ghost, the Assumption and the Coronation. .L Fnless you can calmly and seriously Ji meditate you will find It better to use V I your prayer book. Personally. I have Ail never been able to meditate without i distraction, but. of course, use your own Judgment in the matter, but the prayer book for me. HELENE VALE At. f 4c I Do Catholics have to attend Vespers of other evening devotions? CONVERT. No. They must attend moss every Sunday, if near a church, tinder pain of mortal sin. but they are not obliged to attend evening devotions: still, a thorough, practical, earnest Catholic will attend Vespers and Benediction if possible. In this regard. I regret to say that tnany converts set Catholics good example, more shame for the Catholics. Our Own Leakage. , "What is becoming of our Catholic young men?" a writer asks. Well, some of them are becoming Catholic 4 - . ,T1 ' '' " , . J J..,ll.-.. - i . nil, i li . .'j . ' VMS I old men, and some, alas! are concerning concern-ing themselves very little afcout the Catholic part of it. "What percentage of Catholic young men in our cities between the age of IS and 30 are drifting drift-ing beyond Catholic Influence owing to their surroundings. How many of these will return and how many fall away altogether owing to mixed marriages or other causes? These are questions that should give concern to those who have the care of souls. What are they doing to lessen the "leakage" of the church? The True Voice. |