SATURDAY, JUNE
28, 1919.
a
THE W.A. RECORD.
Christ in the Home. By Rev. M. A. KELLY, C.S.Sq.
,ose "And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject
to them" (Luke ii, 51).
and now eternal which der its roof. Aud the three most emi- matter, one solitary Because Jesus Christ was God, and lovingly upon those sacred walls fact remains: that Christ, the Son of of God are His the been characteristics nent had years those all during mighty and high as God accomplished Mother's love sanctity, His activity and His love; and God, was a worker who was not in rethings, it is only what we would ex- silent witnesses of His upon that little the home from which any or all of these bellion against the yoke upon His pect; it was the Omnipotence of the -long and lovingly which the daybreak are wanting cannot be a shoulders, who cursed neither His emAlmighty at work. But that He was window through calling Him to prayer attributes God and yet accomplished the hum- so often peeped, modelled after the home of ployers nor His tools, but who day by home His 'from which blest of life's humble duties seems to be or to work; through Christ. It is not an exaggeration to day accomplished His task with digIt is, as cot at night He watched the stars come say that those homes wherein the mem- nity and self-respect. It is safe to say even still more God-like. Cretheir while vigil their keep to out wonis who God the family rise in the morning that every employer that He hadyou know, the same have been berslieofdown at night without any word and that He had an employer shows derful upon the deep, heaving old ator rested. And it must or tenand sadness with filled sob a ocean and ruling the waves, the very with or only a very hurried word of praise that not all employers of labour arc to sufficed have that would derness the poises art, to the great God who entirely outside of the scheme of Chrissame who, with infinite kissed the or thanksgiving dewdrop trembling and glistening on save the world that ofHe His watched over them while they slept tianity, for the story of employer and Mother, brow the the heart of the rose. It is the same hands and the last time the doorstep and shielded them while they worked worker, of Capital and Labour, is as old as the world and in spite of all God who storms from the clouds of crossed for or played, literally close the door, lock, heaven and shakes the world with the where He had so oft,en sat at His bar and bolt it lest God should ever en- arguments to the contrary will grow go down will not ask it humbly old with it-every employer that Christ artillery of His thunders, the very same Mother's feet watching the sun the ter. Those who who teaches the rivulet its song and or the moonlight stealing across the in the sublime prayer of Jesus are un- had must have been charmed with His in this not found I have hills. summer. in winds to their lullabies worthy of receiving from Him their diligence, His gratitude, His peace of And I think were I to meet There are others, too, mind. God is infinite in all His manifesta- Gospels, but I have found it in my daily bread. Heart of the great because own heart, Him arrayed "in soft garments," in tions, infinitely powerful, yet infinitely who easily and regularly remain away human. if not was nothing Christ dread beautiful, and, lest we should from church and from the Sacraments; kingly robes and crown, He would pass me by unnoticed and unknown, but I Him too much in His power, He has "To Stay at Home is Best." in vain Christ opens His heart to reMother think I would anywhere recognise my disclosed to us His beauty, that we life which He lived for so ceive them: in vain the Blessed But that might love Him. So, too, with Jesus; many years within the walls of the extends her hands to welcome them: Christ in His working suit. And oh! though we glory always to belong to a home at Nazareth, sanctifying it and they are deaf to every pleading, to workers, workers, whoever you areGod so great, so powerful in His maj- blessing it, that real family life where every warning, until such time as God workers who toil at the loom, workers who build and hew and carry and dig, esty, it is often far easier and sweeter love meets love and tenderness is only weary of being for ever turned away, whom they workers who scrub and clean and wait to adore Him in His human humility. answered with tenderness, seems to be sends them other visitors disease, sickness, and serve, workers of the factory or of poverty, refuse, Humble Abode. every- day growing more rare in the cannot or of the parents do despair, death, and then they blas- she soil, workers of the street Thus it is with a thrill that we read world. Whether it is that their store, workers of the seas or of the pheme the God they have forgotten. of how He went down to Nazareth, not or will not understand to seekduty, it often told homes been have Godless mines-you these And it is into amand how, although the universe is not and compel their children one the where prayers are scant and where no that you are one great brotherhood, large enough to shelter or to exhaust ong strangers and in strange places great family, but they forget to tell religious picture, no blessed statue that His Divinity, He took up His abode joys, the pleasures which are their might be an inspiration is held in you that you are a holy family, that within the narrow confines of a human right, and by a coldness, a carelessness, honour or in reverence, that sins, the Jesus is your brother and Mary' is your And if it be true that a sternness which should be alien to ugly sins, find entrance and abound. dwelling. Mother! Leave the rich, the proud, unfeelingly beJesus Christ has sanctified by His word, a parent's heart, repress there the overfed, leave them to the judgcause unthinkingly the joy and the ex- In that home of Our Divine Lord by His example, or by His presence so commiseries ment of Christ; do not suffer yourof those none were isit or whether of youth, uberance life by human of way every walk and mon to many homes calling themsel- selves to be tempted to soil your hands, in an age like the fact that He remained for so many and it is more probable Discord, consecrated as they have been in the ours, which seems to be an age of ves Christian among us. years out of the precious anger, bitterness, those fell sins of de- workshop with Jesus Christ, by ever in children, prodigal children-those Nazareth. of so short in the obscurity Inlifting them against those who are mons, never disturbed its peace. age, captured before He has told us how dear to the heart keeping with their yet their own enemies and the enemies of they know it by the superficial satis- temperance never cursed it. And and of God must be that most sacred of poor, was Christ, who, traitors to Him who was emancipation. the home at Nazareth institutions which we call home. One faction of a oftoothe early horizon that poverty in our lands is so hideous, so God, although a workman, have gone limited weary grow doing was Christ what ask well might terrible that one would almost dread over body and soul to the enemy of eager like the during all those years. He knew that surrounds the homestead, to life the veil that shrouds the plain, God, to him who offered even to Christ of the Gospel to see, to taste, there were millions of agonising, quiv- prodigal But Himself the fullness, the riches, the poor dwelling place of Christ. no beyond, world the greater to enjoy comHis awaiting souls ering, doubting power of the earth if only falling down hearts either the we need not fear, for Mary, its Queen, ing to heal them, to teach them, and longer feel in their He would adore him. Leave them to is no squalid being, accustomed to or the sanctity of home, but yet for almost twenty years He tar- beauty demand a not gossip, idle Christ; I see in them no semblance to to from sorrowing parents vain pretence or But the answer can quickly be rudely ried. unon a pang God, my Saviour; but come, come you without look to woman of the inheritance, and portion their Nazareth at doing was Christ given. huturn their backs washed dishes or unswept floors; she all, toiling and suffering hosts of day what He did on Calvary. By His ex- with it or without it, and morning manity-in you who toil on from was for ever at work; for ever-whatever ample at Nazareth He was saving the upon them isoften for bread pathway honestly the a day to earn worn to had feet her evening I know not, but I do world which He redeemed at Calvary, the reason her those you love, to decently clothe them, that it was for no vain reason to the fountain which still bears and it would seem true now to say it know out educate she decently shelter them, decently name; tradition has told us how of the all too few years of that, next to the grace of God purchas- that them; in you who bear upon you the earth Jesus remained so spun and wove and stitched and men.-3ed for us by the Blood of Christ, the His life onlong Son, Divine her stigmata of your kinship to Christ, the of garments the ed at home: salvation and regeneration of the world very, very and it was her queen -like hands, the de- marks of toil, of suffering, of sorrow, can only come through the home, Stay, stay at home, my heart, and rest, Blessed the of in you I see the salvation of the world hands licate snow-white through that home life which by His Home -keeping hearts are happiest, of God, that washed and scrub- again accomplished; you are other labours, His prayers, His love, His life For they who wander. they know not Mother bed, and cooked and dusted, while Christs, and you I hail, like Him, and at Nazareth, He was consecrating for where, Jesus and Joseph spent their day in the in His name, other regenerators, other evermore. Are full of trouble and full of care; Saviours of mankind! Show us then workshop. To stay at home is best. the home which like the home of Home and a Mother's Love, Christ Was a Worker. Christ shelters the working man or And lo! fathers and mothers, and In modern times we are so much world's of the no period at Brethren, woman conscious of their dignity and spread abroad, we are organised to the all you who have taken up the bur the history, as in our own times has of their royalty, and with all our heart breaking point. Conventions, congress- then of a home, ask it of Jesus, and "If a true: come Apostle the of word we will salute it as a sanctuary, as a He will tell you the great secret of es, mass meetings, and delegations "we man labour not, neither shall he eat." nay, even as a temple of the have always with us"; schemes, re- making your home happy for your- Never was work of such imperative shrine, Most High God. ocso And selves and for those you love. forms, problems have come to never time same the at necessity, yet Why So Many Unhappy Marriages? cupy the public attention that one you, children, young men, young was there such a shifting of the rewould think that the good old-fashion- women, hear this from Jesus Christ to- sponsibility. "Ye shall be as gods: was Yet, to work and to pray with Christ ed home where each one bears his own night, there is no love awaiting you part of the original temptation, and is not all, so that the home may be as burthen is extinct. To him that outside your homes as sweet or as though the race is condemned to toil the home at Nazareth. Unless the thinks, however, there is a species of true as the love that bent over your as part of the original punishment, members of the household are joined; magic in that word "home," and our cradles, that loved you ere yet you gods we would remain, born to rule united by Christ and in the love of language has no sweeter word except, knew what it was to be loved; that He, Christ, all else is useless, Christ must be and reign, but none to work! perhaps, it be that other word which shielded you ere yet you knew what however, that among us was so human indeed the Head of the house. You And when in it was to be guarded. is likewise a word of home, whose whisGod withal laid down a different will remember the very first time that per in time of temptation has often the course of life, circumstances over and He was known as Our Lord appeared in public after He law for Himself. helped us to be good, in time of danger which you may or may not have con- the carpenter's son before He vindicat- had at length said farewell to Nazato be brave, and has been at all times trol may lead you into the occasions of ed to Himself the proud title of King reth and wrought His first famous mira consolation; the dear, dear word sin-look back, I pray you, to the of the Jews. This may seem a mat- acle: the Gospels tell us of it this wise: To a days when that love was hovering that spells a mother's love. ter of small consequence, but in the life "And the third day there was a marman with his heart in the right place round you like angels' wings keeping riage feast in Cana of Galilee, and the God it is a fact fraught with very the thought of home when he is far you from evil, like angels' whisperings of real and very earnest consequences. Mother of Jesus was there. And Jesus guiding you to God; look back, I pray from it should bring a vision sweet hardenthat also was invited" (John ii, 1, 2). His a workman That He was almost with the sweetness of Heaven, you, to the old home and ask your- ed His hands upon rough materials, very first act after leaving that belovfor home is not merely where we live. selves: Were they for this, my father's worked to earn His daily bread, lived home was to consecrate by His but where we love; it is not merely a prayers; were they for this, my very presence the foundation, the root, from day to day at His trade, sufshelter from winter's cold or summer's mother's tears; were they all for this, ing of the source of all true family life. Now, inclemency the from alike fering heat; it is the place sanctified by our I should become a reprobate, a dis- the weather and the many other incon- it seems to me that in this world which Oh, angels of the home at struggles, our hopes, our tears, our grace? arising from his employment has gone so far away from Christ in sorrows, our victories, our losses. It Nazareth, you who saw and adored the veniences ques-this is a thing of very great import- many points, theis all-important blossoming of the heart of the Child is the place that is gladdened by the It is important, first of all, be- tion of marriage the one the least resmiles of our children and filled with God, watch, we pray you, over our ance. He that was God and had the spected and the most consciously misthe sunshine of their laughter-the Christian homes, watch over those cause wise mind of God chose in understood. The vitality, the strength infinitely and watch and sit we so to spend where that are eager young hearts place which at first of the nation now and for the future And for the themselves, and guide them to Him in the world that calling most weep with our dead. repugnant is built upon the security, the persight seems to be the Son of God, whatever may have been whom alone there is peace. to human nature, the calling of a hired manence, the inviolable sanctity of the the associations that bound Him to homes of the people. And it is well to Industry of the Holy Home. too, in important, is It labourer. His home, His home at Nazareth untimes like ours when the problems of remember that in these days, when the "And He went down with them and doubtedly possessed the same attracand wages are so much before the apostles of destruction are abroad in tion; and I have no doubt when at came to Nazareth and was subject to work for no matter how opinions the land, when marriage is publicly suslength He had to leave it and face them." The home at Nazareth was world: or theories be roared upon the tained not to be, I will not say a Sacrathe world, His eyes lingered long and the home of God; it sheltered God un- clash -