The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1873-06-22
Are We Systematic Enough 7


That we, Catholics, do not exert an en-
ergy at all in proportion with Catholic IN
! terests. ia n fact sad to think but true to
state. That we are bound to be at least as
energetic in the spiritual sphere as we are
in the temporal is duty too plain to prove
to any one who has learned the A B. G. of
Christianity. That we are responsible, all
of us collectively and each one of US indi-
vidually, for our own share in the fulfil
ment or neglect of that duty is conclu-
sion drawn straight and strictly from the
| logic of Faith. How is it, then, with each
of us What are we doing for our God and
Churchf Do we stand idly gazing on while
others are giving the strength of their will
and the power Of their lives to the rearing
of the grand Catholic structure of truth :
Rich in the possession Of that truth do we
keep it to ourselves or, do we endeavor,
! by every means at our comnand, to ex-
tend it's benefits to others Here are ques
tions grave. Each must ask and each must
answer them7 Is Faith an incident pas
siveness of mind7 CT, grand earnestness
| of soul9 Is God worth working for Do
we work Or do we remain, all the short
day of life, idle 7-Why shrink from the
truth And, if it be, as it is, true, why
warn No matter whose voice it is,-so
| the warning is heard.-We do lack ener-
gy,-energy of mind, of will, of purpose.
And we lack it most where We need it
most.
The Church, in Prussia, in France, in
Ireland, in England, is fully alive to the
necessities of the law.
Mark the grand, stirring Pastorals of the
Bishops in those countries. Mark the
ceaseless and tireless intellectual and
spiritual labors of the priests of those coun-
tries. Mark the organizations of the laity
of those nations. They are on the watch
and they are at the work. They have the
true idea. Faith is warfare. They wage
the warfare rightly. They fight error
along its whole line. They have not the
special difficulties which surround us. But
they have greater difficulties than ours.
And they courageously cope wit h them.
They teach us lesson worth learning
and they give us an example which ought
to compel imitation. We, of course, are
gaining many converts,-far more than is
generally supposed. But if, with SO little
effort, we gain 80 many, would not the
numbers greatly increase if we worked
harder7 Aud while, from the scattered
sects out of the fold we are leading in go
many, how many of our own, by birth and
Inheritance of Faith, &re we losingf-
Why cast the veil of silence over these
lost ouesf One by one, here and there, all
over the land. They drift into the great
crowd who are without God in this world
Whose fault is it7 Their OVID, of course,
primarily. But might there not be fault,
also, on our own souls We are not only
our own guardians but we ought to be the
guardians also, of our brethren in the
Faith. In our large cities when the Catho-
lie population is SO largo that, each indi-
vidual member of the Church cannot be
losing many. Children stray from our
schools and soon wander away from our
churches. Young men give up the Confess
sion of sins and soon abandon the profess
sion of Faith. Watch the Communion rail
on any Sunday morning, anywhere,
are the men,-and especially the young
men7 Women come in crowds,-girls in
greater crowds. Boys, few in NUMBER
young men, scarcely any. What is the
end going to BET These young mon will
marry. The choice of many of them will
| be found outside the fold of faith. And
then P-The heart of many priest knows
| the rest. There is a long, sad story of lost
Catholic Faith in this country.
Blame from many quarters may come to
| us for writing those words. But, if we
know ourself, We are not afraid of blame
when We tell the truth.
Now, if all through the Church, in this