The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-05-11

idt0Ic8bcQ In tu0 IGClBHh WHICH. NO l46tC, "a.
deavorsd TO give with; the sdisadyantage
of having 70 refer to foreign. documsnta
for our infosnaatioDA, fnttTe DnumheFs Oh
this Maga4ine may -contaiR-a continuation
Of the elatiOn of the ,ea Manifestations oil
Providence. Do Ia Sale Monthly. :, ~, -
Bishop Ryan, of 81. Louis has the fepnta-
tion Of being the most clog uent PRIESTS
10 this country, and judging BY the exttacts
from his sermons, which we, occasionally
see published in the papers, we should say
he is also one. of the most practical, 20 o.
the 9th ult. the eighteen Conferences Of
the Society Of ST. Vincent de Paul, nom ?
boring some three hundred men. received
Commuaion, in St. Johns Church, where
lie addressed them these words Of whole
some advice e.. aglre uEG ,lA1AbaJz
"The Good Shepherd giveth His life for
His sheep."-You are not all called on
for such q sacrifice as this, bnt. yeas are
called on to m AXE some sacrifice. You ought
to learn to attend the meetings.. when per,
hapsitisunpleasantt to attend In the evening,
when you can make some sacrifice to God by
excusing yourselves to some visitors that
may come making some sacrifice to Al
mighty God in order that you may attend
the meetings for the relief of the poor. Be
pIcp1EcO bu6U " IuLbhGo IudL n0OV0 0uCH-=
herd. Remember that you have jnst re-
ceived him !; and this morning 1t lie appro-,
pirate that you should make an examina-
ton of your discharge of your duties as
members Of the st Vincent. de Paul society,
since your last communion. -. Have at
tended the meetings'7 Have visited the
poor Have visited them, not in the spir-
it of some state agent Of charity or philan-
throphy, but In the spirit of love, in the
spirit Of Jesus Christi Have felt that
tenderness towards them Issince my last
communion have been wanting in any of
these duties, now will promise the Good
Shepherd who Himself is come to nae, I
will promise Him to amend in these mat.
tiers and for tho future I will be a devote d
member of the st. Vincent de Paul Society"
I o, gentlemen, IS have said to you 40
often-and repeat it, for it is not enough
to know these things we have to realize
them, we have to have them deeply i'm
pressed upon us. You have mission in
modern society. That mission il to con-
tinue the civilization that Jesus Christ
came upon the earth to -establish-tbe
Christian civilization. Before His time, in
Pagan ages, the poor were rejected and
despised. They were considered in man.
ner as vicious. It was a misfortune, and
not only misfortune, but. regarded, as it
Bethlehem when the kings bowed in adora-
ton before Jesus Christ, when riches, hon
or and oil that the world holds dear was at
the feet ofPoverty-thatw was the cradle, not
only of Jesus Christ, bot of this hiistian
civilization. The poor rose to their proper
position Divinity came down from hea-
ven and clothed himself with the garments
of poverty ; and no man from that moment
dared despise the poor, because with pow
erty was identified Divinity and there
fore was it honored by Jesus Christ. And
this sacred legacy the Redeemer has left to
as this love for the poor this. devotion
for the poor and thereis no one who loves
devotion to His representatives-whoa are
not only His representatives but with
whom He has Unidentified Himself.
Gas often asyou give to these little ones,
You give to me" said the Lord Hence,
gentlemen, 1t is that this personal love
should work itself out into external action
in personal 10y atty to Jesus Christ. In an
age when tenderness to mankind is denied
and He himself scorned, and the magnif.
cent civilization which He planted upon
this earth is sought to be destroyed by the
infidel and the scoffer, let there be few
honest enough, brave enough to face this
age; few who love him; few every fibre
of whose heart thrills with devotion to
Him. for Christianity is personal reli-
gion it depends upon q devotion to Him.
"And if any man love not the Lord Jesus
Christ, let him be accursed, said the Apos-
tie. Cultivate this general love, not this
mere esteem for God, but this intense peri
sonal devotion for Him; then you will
cherish the poor, and then you will raise
in modern society the vindicators of His
sacred doctrine, the representatives to the
world of what that doctrine and these
practices can make men-not unmanly,
but make them moro manly, more noble
to Jesus Christ. Behold the feeling which
underlies your devotion to the poor, and
which feeling must be at your hearts if
you would discharge your duties to Jesus
and to modern society.