The articles in this number on the works of mercy take the necessity of these works as axiomatic, as something so self-evident that it would be tedious to labour it. In this, surely, they are true to the spirit of St Vincent de Paul, who is the subject of the next article, by a Vincentian father, in honour of his tercentenary. The gospels leave us in no doubt at all about the Christian obligation of almsgiving—of'giving mercy'; all that the practical Christian is concerned to discuss is the matter of ways and means.

Yet a little ‘theory', perhaps, may be useful in order to put this very practical, down-to-earth obligation in its full context of the Christian life. Why is almsgiving such a strict and universal duty? Because it is the acid test of charity. ‘If anyone says “I love God”, and hates his brother, he is a liar’ (I John iv, 20).

M. PIERRE FRESNAY, excellently made-up as a priest of the seventeenth century, walked quickly across the church. He threw open the door of a confessional, beckoned to the confessor who was ministering to the souls of a few dévotes; then, together, they turned their backs on such pious trivialities and set out for the field of practical philanthropy.

The concept of the projected image is quite familiar in contemporary publicity and propaganda. It involves the selection and exaggeration of some one aspect of a product, a political party, a public figure, and the stamping of the result on the imagination of readers, viewers, or listeners. The French film, Monsieur Vincent, in which occurred the scene mentioned above, is a typical example of image projection: it is not unfair to say that the impression left on its audiences was one of almost complete activism. The vivid episodes presented the saint in a way calculated to appeal to the mood of the mid-twentieth century.

What a distance there is between the words ‘works of mercy’ and that irritating slogan of prosperity, ‘We've never had it so good'.

It is the distance between the good Samaritan and the welfare state.

Perhaps it is true that people in England are being better cared for than ever before. It is comfortable to believe that most of the natural tragedies of humanity—sickness, old age, incurable disabilities—come under some heading or other in health services or charitable organizations, and that everyone is taken care of ‘from the cradle to the grave'. We only have to look a very little way under the surface and behind the scenes to know that it is not true.

It is a sad fact that all round us are numbers of men, women and children, chronically sick, or dying slowly of incurable disease, or so severely and permanently disabled that it is not possible for them to live anywhere but in the ‘chronic’ wards of hospitals, where their very beds are often needed for more curable patients.

Brothers, I have little strength, but God's word has plenty. Let it be effective in your hearts. You can listen strongly to what I am saying slowly and feebly—by complying with it. As though from his own thunder-cloud the Lord has thundered from the prophet Isaias; and if you have any sense, it has made you shiver. He spoke quite plainly, and these words need no explanation, only action. ‘What use have I', he says, ‘for the multitude of your sacrifices?’ (Isaias i, 11).

I Write this article as a very ordinary Catholic layman. A schoolmaster whose work very definitely does not finish at four o'clock, father of four children not yet in their teens, an active member of various professional and Catholic organizations, the only handyman, painter and decorator about the house, I am pretty busy. But I feel very strongly that once family and professional obligations have been fulfilled, the performance of works of Christian charity is my most important duty.

It was as an undergraduate at Oxford after the war that I was persuaded by Catholic friends to join in works of charity. Like many others, we made a special effort to heal some of the wounds of war. We tried to become the genuine friends and tactful helpers of Polish students and German prisoners of war. We collected and despatched food and clothing to refugees and to Germany. Then a Dominican introduced us to the normal charitable work which can—and should—be performed in the ordinary Catholic parish.

Too many children present problems fraught with danger these days. One has only to pick up the newspapers or listen to the news to appreciate the seriousness and. scope of the child-adult conflict as well as its far-reaching consequences. Indeed, it is not uncommon to read of parents and teachers being beaten, injured or killed. Conflicts and tensions between adults and children are becoming too much the rule rather than the exception.

All kinds of explanations have been offered for the misbehaviour and misdeeds. Some say the attitude on the part of children is caused by the influence of comic books. Others claim it is lack of adult discipline at home and school. Some lay the blame to a decline of ethical and moral values as religion loses its grasp on people and has lost its significance to the modern mind. Still others say the reason is due to lack of respect for authority which stems from home and school situations.