My Prayer Book_LASANCE - the Catholic Kingdom!

A New Virtw 3 5
love of putting out one's strength upon othersn
There is in every ordinary boy a disposition to romp,
to play the fool, and to destroy property; a disposition
which ought to be sternly repressed, subdued, and kept
under by those responsible for the boy's education, beginning
with himself. Otherwise the boy can have no
place in civilized society: he will turn out a young
savage. But though repressed. the disposition should
not be killed within him and extirpated altogether.
It is a defect of character to have no playfulness, no
drollery, no love of witnessing or euen creating a ridiculous
situation. Eudrapdia knows exactly when and
how to be funny, and where and when to stop All
things hve their season, says Ecclesiastes (iii. I, 4);
a time to weep, and a time to lauglz; a time to nwurn, a J
a time to dance. A proud and quarrelsome man is never
a funny man. Many a difficulty, many an incipient
quarrel, many a dark temptation, is dissipated, the noment
one catches sight of some humorous side to the
matter. A humble mau makes merry over his own
misadventures; and when he is inclined to storm and
rage listens to a good angel whispering in his ear:
"John, don't make a fool of yourself." A merq boy
is seldom a bad boy.
Life is not all play: indeed it is a very serious thing;
but on account of its very seriousness we require some
play to set it off. That is why you find excellent men
and great doers of good with an extraordinary faculty,
which they use at times, of talking nonsense and playing
the fooL Eutrapeliu is a blend of playfulness and earnestness.
Without earnestness, playfulness degenerates
into frivolity. "0 Lord, give me not over to an irreverent
and frivolous mind" (Ecdus. xxiii. 6). We generally
.wear our lighter clothing underneath, and our
More Free Items at www.catholickingdom.com