The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-06-22

ergy-a stronger earnestness of purpose,
these things would not be as they are.
But what is the cause Of this lack of ener-
gyf 1t has many carses. We point out
only one-mayhap, the principle cause.
Our want of energy springs from want of
| system.
Our Church is grand, divine syetem of
Truths, Laws, Sacramento, Government.
1t is Christ's,-and ours. He established
it and works in it, by system. We belong
to it,-are his coadjutors,- in it We
must work by system. Do Wet In plain,
downright truth, do wef Our adverearies
know that system is the secret of strength
and the warrant of success.
They use it. Professionalism is not a
loose, but q compact system. To give one
illustration, look at the organization of
their Sunday schools. Read the records
of their Sunday school Unions. The Meth
odists alone have 1880 Sunday schools
! ESQ, 493 scholars,-2, 650, $3.50 volumes u
books in their Sunday school libraries
They expend, for Sunday school purposes
s4s6,773. Their Sunday school Advocate
has the enormous circulation of 900,
copies, and their Sunday school Journal
reaches circulation of SO 600 copies. And
yet, we, Catholics number twice as many
as the Methodists Why the difference 7
They have system. They have Book
concern, the sales of whose books amount
to nearly ONE MILLION of dollars annually.
And when we consider the cheap price
asked for each book, we may conclude that
two or three millions of Methodist volumes
are sold every year Here is system,-a
here is success. This is but one illustra
ton of the system of one single sect. What
lesson 1t teaches US. How many Of Our
Sunday schools have libraries7 And those
that have, how few the number of volumes
We have, in our possession, other statis-
tics illustrating the energy and system of
Protestant denominations, but the few
facts, which we have given, are sufficient
for our purpose.
The Church universal will never fail.
1t rests upon the Rock of everlasting Pro-
mise, and no shortcomings on the part of
it's members can ever lead to its destruc-
ton. But the Church, as circumscribed
within limits of one nation may fail,-fail
in it's work, fall from it's grace,-forfeit its
faith and become a ruin. Wilt has happen
ed before. 1t may happen again. We are
bound to use human means for the success
of its divine work. But human means, un-
less employed with energy and with sys-
TEN, invariably fail. In this country we have
antagonists who are ever on tue alert, and
who work against our work with won
derful energy and with system.
Aud we 1--WE simply withdraw into our
churches-have our Mass and hear our
sermon,-and go on our way, each for him
self, abandoning the entire care of the in
terests of the Church to God aloue,-and
refusing to do anything beyond the saving
of our own soul. But helping to save the
souls of Others, -working for the glory Of
the Church and for the spreading of the
Faith, is the surest way of reaching our
own salvation
In the Church we have numerous socie-
ties. How long do they live? How soon
all interest in them dies awayq Why
We have no system. In this whole cour-
try there is not one Catholic University.
That fact shows fault somewhere.
In this country we have not one
Great Seminary commensurate with our
numbers and our wants. We seem to fol-
low the principle, which is false in the
Christian order: "Let we'll enough alone"
Apart from higher motives, mere Catholic
pride should stimulate us to greater energy
and unto US in system. The Cross needs a
human hand to carry it and to plant it,.
The Church calls for human means and
agencies to make it triumph in any land
and these human means are, in their re-
| suits, next to nothing unless they are en-
ployed with energy and applied with sys-
! TEN.