The Family Circle

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 8, 4 March 1925, Page 61

The Family Circle

■••..« - THE ROSARY BY THE SEA. -"-" : - ' -..J/Ave Maria!" Above. the roar | booming j surf on the • sandy shore, Touor|ing the beads of my Rosary chain,— ;;" ; "Av& Maria!" again and again. TJhe waves hear the "Mystery" old, yet new, And the,high spray, dashes it up to the blue. ;'*Ave Maria !" The sun goes down, ,Tho ocean is wearing a jewelled crown — •Opal and sapphire, ruby and gold; ..-The'! billows are crested with splendor untold. , The jßosary," gliding my fingers through, Is -telling- Our Lady I love, her true, ii|^Avp^rariJl!' , ? Tis twilight now, With faint : stars seeming a crown for her / ,"'■'«' brow;:,'; The .white moon floats to its place at her feet, ■•'With ? silvery loveliness, pale and sweet, ■Jlftpatch my breath in the velvet space, i:A|id- watch: for the sky to reveal her face. Buf darkened waters grow black in the gloom, And breakers echo their solemn boom; And the deep-toned sea moans its evening ~. prayer, , 'And the lonely vastness seems terrible there. ;vß)it ; up in the sky She is smiling on me, — \ '"Qji.pen of the Rosary, Star of the Sea! ; .% ■■'''■'•■' .; —Mercedes. ;'."•; 's*'] " WWH "\> SOLID FOUNDATIONS. • "See, father,"• said a- boy who was walking with his father, "they are knocking away the props from under the bridge! What are . they doing that for ?. Won't the bridge fall!" "They t are knocking them .away," said the father, "that the timbers may rest more "figirly upon the stone piers which are now finished. £;'•] / ;God often takes away our. earthly props that we may rest more firmly upon Him. He sometimes takes away a man's health that 1 he may rest upon Him for his daily bread. (.Before his health failed, though he, perhaps, 2 repeated daily the words, "Give us this day i our daily bread," he looked to his own in- .; dustry for that which he asked of God. That prop being taken away, lie rested wholly upon God's bounty. When he receives his bread, •. he receives it as the gift, of God. ; . God takes away our friends that we may • look to Him for sympathy, When our affections were exercised upon objects around us, when we rejoiced in their abundant sympathy we did not feel the need of divine sympathy. But; when they were taken away we- felt our need of God's sympathy and ; support. -We; were brought to realise that He alpine can give support, and form an adequate portion for the soul. Thus are our earthly props removed, that we may rest. firmly and ; wholly upon God. ACTION OF HOLY SEE IN REGARD £>:4s?V TO MODEST DRESS. S ;; The>jO.<tsrrvatnit>. recently pub- - ; lilhfedjphe directions given by the CardinallA>tfhhishop of Bologna and other Italian prelates in pursuance of- the recent action of ~ the : Holy See,.' with reference to the dress of

women in the churches of Italy. These episcopal declarations direct that women wearing low-cut dress with bare arms in church are : hot to .be admitted to confession or to the altar rails or allowed to act as godmothers at baptisms; that women and girls presenting, themselves -for .confirmation must be "seriously and.modestly dressed"; and that those who disregard these regulations are to be,prudently admonished, and, if necessary, requested to leave any church where they appear -unsuitably dressed. ; .. ' The Qsservatqre replies -lib, the criticisms of the press and to the writers who have been indulging in very poor attempts at jests on the subject of the Pope and the Bishops posing as. authorities on fashion, and points out that this action is.directed against a growing 'abuse in Italy, and is an application of the rule laid down in Canon 12(52 of the new Cocle, which sets- forth that; In ..the, churches men arc. to be bareheaded and women are to. have their heads covered and to be modestly dressed. It argues that the •matter is,-after all, oho. of ''common sense, even apart;• from : the reverence' due to *.he sanctity of the temples of Clod and the solemn rites of religion. It is ''.recognised''' even by the arbiters of fashion themselves that some costumes are correct and others out of place at various social; functions in the home, 'in the street, in the morning or in the evening. .'. \ ;■' ■,■ I :'. : I Apart from other considerations, it is a piece of■.. senseless bad taste to wear,' exaggerated or insufficient dress in approaching the Sacraments, hearing Mass .and assisting at the. other, offices- of,. \\iQ 1 Church. ; A widespread neglect of this simple rule he'?cs,utales plain-speaking .and. clear direction on the . subject, in -order to react against ; a manifest abuse. There are already very precise ' rules as to the dress to be worn- at audiences at the Vatican. No lady could object to its being pointed out that she had failed to observe these rules, .; and so could not be admitted to an audience. To prevent such mistakes the rules are made known to all who seek admission. In the same way, no one need complain of a reminder that some of the current exaggerations of dress do not meet the rule that a serious and modest costume should be worn at the altar-rails and in the, presence" of the ' Blessed Sacrament. Reverence and good, taste dictate-.this,i'eyen apart' from any legislation on the subject. J-j. ■■:' ■ W H^^;^.y'/:;: V'.,. : ; ; \;;' CHRIST, THE KINO. "I have been-established King oyer Sion." said the Son of God of Himself by the mouth of His prophet, • and furthermore: f' 'Ask., ol Me, and. I will give .you the nations as inheritance;, and;, T. will enable .you %ti> posses? them even, to the : ends of the ear£h," * '- Where- is, therefore, the royalty of Christ over jtjhia nations, and what are the..peer who, unanimously, proclaim His heritage? It is dilhelut : to say where : the world is tend;-..-whether; { .at.. Ibis moment . iJU^Swft '; .toward. Cod or towards deliberate •,aversion

to Christ. But what we are able to'saswith, > certainty,is that_Ghrist is not■■yet-fiijly satis-, fied with man's love for i Him. The ]£ihg r is .unknown -by -many ;< His inheritance is Tejected. ; ,'"•' - '/ ••'-,-'■■ '-i-i J -'-ij:'!,''' , u . Without doubt there are diverse and odious forms of this lack of ? recognition and tjiis*#jpulsion. And so Christ has not 'cotife ! , into His rightful place. He Who,vis by\ right of birth and of conquest indisputable King of nations, ought also to be incontestable King of intelligences \ aftd of wills,-the, Sovereign Light of thoughts, the &v&&gfc's King of laws and manners.-; And yet' He is audaciously driven out .and expelled.'. ;'.•>,/. With acts of violence or hypocritical intrigues the Heir is thrown from his heritage-. There isyou know it—an entire portjon.of humanity furiously . intent upon,. deposing Christ and taking from Him His crow|j. It is a. sinister army, J which recruits its troops by most effective means, f torn,,every country -, from every social rank, ranks who cry. in the words of Scripture: ''l^t;us,bifealf' : th»' bonds of Jehovah and of His; Christ,.and f throw off the chains with which they^lojadt' us." • .-; '; . / '..,,■; "i • ' And so, violently, bitterly/ f obstinately, [ these antichrists make , assault upon tie, .sovereign .throne where sits as Mastery ,Whoso dominion is a< domination of iq#e.They would transform His sceptre :intif^ : sceptre of iron. Without regard for Hia benefits, the antichrists follow out the execu- .: tion of their evil designs ~ . . . rtedityii ,;.j sunt inania. They call themselves by^vel^O; •; names according to their,times■ and nations;/ ■1 they bear aloft many'colors and .'; and claim contradictory systems in the name or of liberty, in thc\name of intangible or of sovereign 'opinions, in the name^-..of' national superhuman?, or in the 'jiam&fof international levellers. ( But at root they all resemble one another' and bear toward 'the same end ... ... % absolute independence of their Creator, Legislator and Saviour.."''_*"'•...,' . All this -is but the secular echo of that revolt which took place in Paradise, the.qri«v ginal revolt . . "you will •be as' gods,, like to the Most High."- '.■ Vw -;!%| vvww '.;''; ";% $ r WHO SHALL ASCEND ?< \'[ \ % \$ • Who shall ascend to the Mount of the Lord.'Or stand within His holy place? '-'":' Vj. The few whose hands are innocent, "'■"■ rj'' Whose hearts are clean.,-:; ,-; v ;, ; A.l.i.' : ■-'■■■- i ■ ■■■>; ' -vV" •' ' ' ' '•" ' •'/*.'"'" ■'.•■"''' v And :V he with eyesastrain to catch a' sight; , Of- better things, the while his heart disdains T/o, join in low pursuits, whate'er the gains, ; Who. feeling foes press hard \ will fight for .iT'-Hl rign'ii';•••> . .',-/,*; .•.^ r , :; Not winged feet alone will reach the hftlglit; ; The road for most climbs up the sides wt&ria § .... ■ yawn..: \7'.;-\'..:::,'vj \,'/'J'#! Depths whose shadows dark engulf the daftly Changing the day.into .a second night, • The splendor of His holy place will light! > Eyes that have .shed cleansiiig tears of piitn; And kkiiie -iitioii this hfeftilfi - .wlib}-Rot-in^v'' l, xi I Mra.it evil days havfe'lkept their jewel bright. . "■'"" " "■•■ •• •. ''- ' ■ ■• ■• - ■»■. ■■ ~' t'. '3 ■ ■■..

;•',., • ■;.*. ... 4 HER MISTAKE. , 7 .. The .Inexperienced maid was instructed to prick;. each sausage-so'-that they should not iburst open before they were served at breakfast. ' She seemed'surprised at the 'instruction, so her. mistress said: -'Just stick a fork in each." ~, ..'■.. ._.;,■ ....-.\. '. t i ■The girl nodded' coinprebendingly. ; Imagine the family's Astonishment when at breakfast a dish of sausages was served up with a kitchen .fork standing upright in each sausage. One diminutive sausage had a. corkscrew in it, there being a shortage of forks.

] ■■['/"■:; BLAMED THE BAND: : : At a performance of an amateur dramivic club an amusing incident occurred - ou<j;ii the,,nervousness of one of the performers.

•Ip the play a very flue band was the leading’ feature, and on every side nothing but praise and flattery of the music was to’ bo heard/ ‘

In the third act (lie nervo.us.young amateur, who was playing a; minor part, was to rush ou,.tho. stage while the hand was playing -and cry; “Stop the music! The king is dead,” " ■ , ;

'Dm critical moment came, and the excited highly-strung amateur rushed on. “Slop the. music!” he cried. “It has killed the king.”

SMILE RAISERS.

"■'.* You are the sunshine of my life! You alone reign in my heart. Without you life is but a dreary cloud.". /"Is-this a proposal or a weather report?" «? "He 'knows all the' best people "in.- town." /"Then why. doesn't -be associate with with- them?" ..., . . "They know him."- ' | -. '.'•"'.'"■„■ ■'''', ; > ; ;Miss ■Campordown : '"-Don't you think there should bo more clubs women?" 'Mis-sAssid: ''Oh,-no! .I.should be. inclined to try kindness/first." . . .I■ 'i : >.\..-;V.« '■'.,-.. ■■] ' Customer: ''But if you -are': selling tlu'ti© watches under- cost ■price,- where does your profit come in?" ■ ■■■•.-'■•- Salesman:' "We make our profit out ef repairing them." *'"".'■■'•'. i .*.'"'' After a meeting of the City Council u grouchy old ratepayer had this to say:

'-“Gentlemen, you ought to hold your next meeting oil a merry-go-round.”

One! of the councillors asked him why. “You never get anywhere,” he said.