128 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Commentarium Officiale

snow; becausé your shoes and stockings are strong and protect you

securely against the cold and wet. When evening comes, you will sit

down to a warm sùpper thàt mother has prepared to make you grow up

healthy and happy.

But you must know that there are other millions of children here in

Europe and out in the far East, whose life is very différent. They are

yonng boy s and girls just your age, and they too should be growing up

happy and healthy. Instead, they are falling victims to dread disease,

they are hungry, some of them are starving, and many of them are going

to die so very young. They shiver in the cold; their clothes are thin and

worn ; many have only rags to cover their f rail bodies, have no stockings,

no shoes. And their mother s, who love them just as much as your

mothers love you, can give them only a little bite to eat at the end of

the day.

What is sadder, thousands of these 'children have no fathérs or

mothers to take care of them. They died during the terrible war ; and

these children now walk the city streets, wander over country roads

little conscious of the périls around them, and at night must look for

some shelter in cold cellars or are crowded together in rude barracks,

only to begin another lonesome, aimless, dangerous day when the sun

comes up again.

And what dangers are awaiting them! There are often no attractive

schools for them. They are not taught, as you are, by devoted retigious,

Sisters and Brothers, ali the wonderful things about God : how He

created them for Himself; how He loves them and sent His only begotten

Son to redeem them and help them get to heaven ; how they must love

God, be good and obey the commandments of God and ali that the Church

téaches them. They feel that they have been abandoned; and how easily

they learn to do what is very wrong.

You remember that charming scene in the life of Jesus, when the chil-

dren gathered around Hirn and would not let Him go ; and some of His

friends wanted to drive them away : but He said : no, let the children

be, do not prevent them from coming tome. And with love He laid His

sacred hand upon their heads in blessing.

Today the millions of sufiering children are looking with appealing

eyes to the Vicar of Jesus. Let them come to Us; let no one hold them

off. We love them ali with the love of Christ, and We cannot rest so long

as the pangs of hunger make them cry out for help and their immortai

souls are in perii of being set upon by the enemy of God. Charitable

benefactor s throughout the world, and ëspecially the Catholics of America