Newspaper Page Text
10
THE BULLETIN OF THE CATHOLIC LAYMEN'S ASSOCIATION OF GEORGIA
THE BULLETIN
The Official Organ of the Catholic Laymen’s
Association of Georgia.
Published Monthly by the Publicity Department,
409 Herald Building, Augusta, Georgia.
Subscription Price $2.00 Per Year
VOL. II. DECEMBER, 1920 No. I
THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS.
To the pious layman this is the time of the year
when he begins to remember the ‘Gloria in Excelsis
Deo et in Terra Pax Hominibus Bonae Voluntatis,
which is almost certain to be quoted in one of the
Christmas sermons each will hear. And in the days
that will intervene until the Feast occurs most of us
will be trying to do each his part in contributing to
the pleasure of our fellows. The second part of the
above-named wish is well taken care of by us. The
human side of Christmas has been so well exploited
that each considers it his duty to add to the sum
of human happiness at Christmas-time. Good Fel
lows are everywhere. Our charity glows to a white
heat and for once we are seeking those less fortu
nate and doing unto them as we would be done by.
We even remember the orphans and on Christmas
Day contribute the price of a few good cigars to
their support and maintenance for the ensuing twelve-
month. Yes, we do fairly well by our brothers at this
season.
But how about the first part of the admonition,
the Gloria in Excelsis Deo? How many of us give
to God a tenth part of the Christmas thought we
give to making the children and our fellows on earth
happier by some remembrance? And yet that is
the prime part of the Christmas spirit. Notice the
order in which the two thoughts occur. We are told
first to think of God and then of men of good will.
The fact is we have all of us allowed Christmas to
be more of an earthly than a spiritual holiday. It is
true we all go to Mass that day some indeed pick
out that one day in all the year for entering the por
tals of a sacred edifice. It is true that we give a few
cents more than ordinary to the charity of the
church. But how little in comparison with the spirit
of giving from a human motive are our hearts raised
to the God whose sacrifice made it possible for us to
have Christmas?
Instead of a day humming with activity, of good
cheer and almost brusque charity, should we not
rather spend it in a spirit of humility and with a con
trite heart bend our heads in devotion and worship of
that God whose glory should be the theme as well as
motive of the great feast? The charity is good if it
springs from a love of God, but that love is really
and truly the essential in a correct realization of the
spirit of Christmas. “Glory to God in the Highest”
should not be subordinated to the “peace on earth
to men.”
THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC PRESS
MONTH.
Next March has been named by Bishop Russell,
the chairman of the Press Department of the Na
tional Catholic Welfare Council, as “National Cath
olic Press Month,” in accordance with the action
taken by the Archbishops and Bishops at their re
cent meeting in Washington, when it was decided
to set aside a month early in 1921 for the purpose
of unifying all the forces under the direction of the
Hierarchy throughout the whole country in a na
tional campaign on behalf of the Catholic press.
March is the month dedicated to St. Joseph, the
human head of the Holy Family, Patron of the Uni
versal Church, devotion to whom was recently urged
by the Holy Father in a special message to the Chris
tian world* It is particularly appropriate that the
National Catholic press campaign should be held in
the month associated with St. Joseph, for probably
no power more than the power of the press can
best serve the social interests of Christian civiliza
tion, and the welfare of the family, both of which
purposes were so strongly promoted by Benedict XV
in his recent Encyclical Letter on St. Joseph.
The Press Department of the National Catholic
Welfare Council is working out a definite program
for the conduct of the campaign, under the direction
of the Archbishops and Bishops, aind in co-operation
with the Catholic Press Association, the National
Council of Catholic Men and the National Council of
Catholic Women.
That the combined forces of the Catholic Church
in the United States, inspired by such sentiments as
these, and led by the Hierarchy, will make a great
success of the National Catholic Press Month, next
March, admits of no doubt.
WORK OF A “LAZY” MONK.
The most beautiful volume among the 300,000
books in the Congressional Library at Washington is
a Bible which was transcribed in the sixteenth cen
tury by a monk. It could not be matched today by
the very best equipped printing office in the world.
The parchment is perfect in condition and every one
of its 1,000 pages is a most wonderful study. The
general lettering is in German text. Each letter is
perfect, and every one of them is coal black, without
a scratch or blot from cover to cover. At the be
ginning of each chapter, the initial letter is very large,
usually two or three inches, and is highly illuminated
in blue or red ink, the colors being as clear and
beautiful as if just completed. With each of these
capitals there is drawn the figure of some saint, or a
picture of some incident described in the chapter.
There are two columns in a page and nowhere is
found the slightest irregularity of line, space or for
mation of letters. Even under a magnifying glass
they appear to be flawless. The precious volume is
kept under a glass case, which is sometimes lifted to
show that all the pages are as perfect as the two
which lie open.