The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-04-28

the power and wealth which they retained,
exclusively for the glory of God and the
good of their fellow-men. The saints are
only examples of the highest degrees of
those virtues of the same kind which con,
stitute the character of all really good
Christians. Every rich man, therefore,
who wishes to be good Christian, must
have the same devotion to the faith, to the
church, to the cause of God, of Christ, and
of the Vicar of Christ on earth, which the
saints had. Devotion to the Church sums
up the whole, because it includes or i'm
plies every thing. This devotion must pre-
cede, direct, aud dominate over every in
teRtiOn, motive, object, and undertaking of
life. The obligation to it lies in the very
nature of baptism. The baptized person
is wholly devoted to the service of the Lord
who has redeemed him, signed him with
title to the crown of celestial glory. The
nature and extent of the service due varies
with the position aud the talents Of the in
dividual. The one who receives one talent
is bound to gain one more with it. This
may mean, for instance, that this particu-
is bonnd to no other service to the
church than to bring up Welt some three OF
Ave children, to come to Mass aud the ga
craments with them, to live an honest life,
aud to make some small contributions to
the treasury of the church. The one who
receives five talents is also bound to gain
five more. The exploitation of the sense of
this, and it's application to particular cases
are easily made. Whatever the talents
conferred on any individual may be, all
must be devoted primarily to the sacred
cause of the Catholic Church. 1t is the
Kingdom of Christ it is the only hope of
salvation to the world it is the ark of
we are speaking. Into that church he has
been baptized at the font, and made it's
child, its citizen, and its subject. There is
no escape from its allegiance except by
treason. The character Of baptism is inef-
faceable, and no one who bears that mark
has any rights over himself, his talents, or
his possessions, except such as are CON
ceded to him by the law of Christ. g Ye
are not your own, ye are bought with q
price," Henceforth, no one liveth to
himself. and no one dleth to himself" 1t
is necessary to live and die as a member of
the Catholic Church, in order to live
honorably and die happily. AS it is
only by p ,rtaking in the common life of
the Church that its individual members
have any life of their own, it is their first
| duty to promote that common life. The
law Of life is the law of duty the greater
and stronger and more important the mem
Der is, the greater is tho service it is bound
to render to the body.
| The duty of Catholics who belong to the
| mSuoT anu hOio WcotOhJ SlooS All oOSASeJ
to the Church are very various, numerous,
and heavy. One portion of them comedies
to a great extent with their obligations to
the poor and miserable, of which notice
was taken in our last number. The obliga-
ton of succoring their fellow creatures be-
cause they are of the same blood through
Adam, and made in the rational image OF
the same God, becomes more sacred to-
wards those who are brethren n Christ
through baptismal grace. How is it pos
sible for Christians who expect to be saved
through the infinite charity of Jesus Christ
to revel in spleudor, luxury, and enjoy
ment, and at the same time to look with
feripg of those who are the dearest friends
of Christi If they are charitable and
kind hearted, as every true Christian must
be, the charities of the Church are so nu-
merous and extensive as to tax their gen.
erosity to the utmost. There is great scope
individuals, but the great organized works
of charity must be carried on by the clergy
or religious societies. The funds which
they are ordinarily able to procure for
these works are, in proportion to the
necessities clamoring for relief, like the i've
loaves and two small fishes which the
disciples of Christ set before the furnishing
multitude of FIVE thousand men, besides
| women and children. These small funds
come in great part from the almsgivipg OF
laboring people, or from the various
devices of lectures, fairs, concerts, etc., to
which the managers of charitable works are
obliged to resort. After all has been done,
the Catholic priest, the charitable layman
who makeS his round of visits in the name
Of the St. Vincent de Paults Society, the
Sister of Charity, are hardly able to do
more than help those who are in want OF
the absolutely necessary clothing, food and
are with which to keep off tue gaunt
death that grins at them out Of every
corner of their life. The demands upon
charity are constant, multif 6!su and and
priests, VINO have already given up every
thing for God. 1t is plain, therefore, that
it is the duty of the rich to furnish them
literally and ab1ndantly with the means
for supplying these demands.
The building of churches, their decora.
ton, the furnishing Of sacred vessels IAN. and
works directly connected with the service
and worship of the divine Majesty, are OBJ,
iects demanding truly immense outlay Of
money. So far as concerns that which is
necessary for the ministering Of the word
IS -;,k irit u q