Welsh Journals

L. 1.0. & M. I. A CH^ CENNAD LLYDEWIG LLANRWST. the I af»n'*r I f. l; (Cambro Breton Mission), Llanrwst, North Wales. Vol. I. 25rd OCTOBER 1910. No. 12. 4» 4? 4* 4* *$* •&* 4* 4* 4? 4* 4* 4* *$• 4? ^ ffr 4? *f? 4* 4? *$? *$* 4* ♦ 4» *>?<* 4?+4? 4» •!? •§• 4* fJK RICK OR POOR? WHOEVER has received from the Divine bounty a large share of temporal blessings,— whether they be external and corporeal, or gifts of the mind,—has received them for the purpose of using them for the perfecting of his own nature and, at the same time, that he may employ them, as the steward of God's Providence, for the benefit of others. " He that hath a talent," says St. Gregory the Great, " let him see that he hide it not; he that hath abundance, let him quicken himself to mercy and generosity ; he that hath art and skill, let him do his best to share the use and the utility thereof with his neighbour " (Horn, ix in Evang., par. 7). As for those who possess not the gifts of fortune, they are taught by tbe Church that, in God's sight, poverty is no disgrace and that there is nothing to be ashamed of in seeking one's bread by labour. This is enforced by what we see in Christ Himself, Who, " whereas He was rich, for our sakes became poor " (2 Cor., vm, 9) ; and Who, being the son of God and God "Himself, chose to seem and to be considered the son of a carpenter—nay, did not distain to spend a great part of his life as a carpenter Himself: "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary?" (Mark, vi, 3). From contemplation of this Divine exemplar, it is more easy to understand that the true worth and nobility of man lies in his moral'qualities, that is, in virtue; that virtue is, moreover, the common inheritance of men, equally within the reach of high and low, rich and poor ; and that virtue, and virtue alone, wherever found, will be followed by the rewards of everlasting happiness. Nay, God Himself seems to incline rather to those who suffer misfortune. For Jesus Christ calls the poor " blessed " (Matth., v, 3); He lovingly invites those in labour to come to Him for solace (Matth., xi, 28); and He displays the tenderest charity towards the lowly and the oppressed. These reflections cannot fail to keep down the pride of those who are well to do and to embolden the spirit of the afflicted,—to incline the former to generosity and the latter to meek resignation. Thus the separation, which pride would set up, tends to disappear, nor will it be difficult to make rich and poor join hands in friendly concord. Moreover, if Christian precepts prevail, the respective classes will not only be united in the bonds of friendship but also in those of brotherly love. For they will understand and feel that all men are children of the same common Father, Who is God ; that all have alike the same last end, which is God Himself, Who alone can make either men or angels absolutely and per¬ fectly happy ; that each and all are redeemed and made sons of God by Jesus Christ, " the first-born among many brethren " ; that the blessings of nature and the gifts of grace belong to the whole human race in common ; and that from none except the unworthy is withheld the inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven ; "If sons, heirs also, heirs indeed of God and co-heirs of Christ " (Romans, vm, 17j. Pope Leo xiii,