The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-08-28

Sacred poems, anecdotes Of sage and saint,
and snatches of tender hymns, mingle with
quiet but unrestrained conversation; while
even mallet and ball enliven the groups of
white-veiled novices. When the vivacity
of the religious at these times attracted the
observations of one not initiated into the
esprit of the discipline of the Catholic
Church, one of the ladies replied, '"Why,
sir! we do not discard the whole of ex-
istence, but only its follies! We think,
with Madame Swetchine, that the one aim
of life should be to make our reason plous,
and our piety reasonable"
But, in our brief outline OF daily duty
we have not even limited at its most diff
cult part-the spiritual exercises. 1t is
these which give the extraordinary charm
to the faithfully kept vows OF the vestal; 1t
is these which make coward of an or
binary worldly heart. How many persons
can mediate, for instance, for an hour at
time on the crucifixiOnf How the subllmity
of the awful scene fills the fancy with holy
awe, and thus the mind receives most val
liable aid yet how natural to ny the scene
for very terror or weak incapacity! But
how much less are we not capable of con-
templating thoughts into which the stern
happiness of sublimity does not enter
The religious is obliged to make every dog
ma of her creed the object of her continued
and humble thinking The resurrection
riority of the despised, if he fear God, over
the goddess monarch, will soon follow. She
NAV revel for moment in visions OF heav-
emily splendor; but she kneels on an uncar-
peted floor. Her obedience, too, is con-
: stantly subjected to the severest trials.
Her superiors command; she never ques-
: tions. She may to-day give instruction in
painting, or run her taper fingers over
harp strings, or guide the young girl at the
embroidery frame, to prove, "wo anan's
she may have charge of the dormitory, and
battle the little children, before putting
) them to bed. Most of US like to know, at
! least, why we are told to do thing, even
when we know we must do it; the religious
> never thinks Of sohy. Reason diminishes
) in faith. Her heart says, with that of an
3 eminent woman of her church, love
r knowledge, love intellect; l love faith,
simple faith, still more. ! love Gods
8 shadow better than mans light! 10 her,
4 and quod Deus cult the continuation of Fiat
: lur. While the old domestic ties are not
4 wholly broken, yet their gentle longings
t cannot be INDUCED; her superior is her
r mother; God she humbly claims for her ia,
d ther; the members of the convent household
# are her sisters. real mother lies dying in q
o still home, miles and miles away; she does
e not think of flying to her side, though
n tears stream down her cheeks and agoniz'
" ing prayers are sent to heaven for the vel
" fire OF the O6lOVeu SOUL. "A SouNChC liAC u
q not all comfort! The .joy of it only the
IS religious knows; the sorrow of it we Cal
70 see and shrink from. She almost wholly
IT casts away the pleasures of earth as worth
@ less, and her enjoy ments are such as w
" do not call by that name. The contempla
?. ton of a crucifx is to her exquisite bliss
Is When she realizes how Christ's death is tn
h pledge of her own Immortality, she feels al
Is the pride of a victor. She is like KIM
ts Charles, who, when Titan had painte
ic three portraits of him, conscious that tn
le artists canvas would live, exclaimed
&c This is the third time have triumphe
ts over death !"
a. But, accepting all the obligations an
IS, duties of the religious life, and at the sam
to time discarding the Catholic premises frol
ne which we have been viewing it, if we con
w slider woman in the world and woman i
er the closter, how infinitely better OF, i
10 the materialsense, is not the latter! World
he " woman to-day means gilded insignia
he canoe, empty pride, unlimited vanity, sha
of low pretension, mock scholarship, man!
o. unwomanliness, domestic fraud, and al
It. use, and vice, and sin; or, wealth lacking
to, base tool of baser uses, wretched drudge,
wv unconverted Magdalen. How many Marths
Ell would not prefer to be Martha's sister,