The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1874-10-04

Easter morning, when the women went to
seek our Lord in his grave, down to this
our day, the Catholic Church has been
prominently before the world. She has
teaches, and she has signed her teaching
with the blood of thousands of martyrs,
and she has never mutilated the Word of
God.
TAKE ANY oEE DOCTRINE OF THE CATHOLIC
FAITH
care not what one-and / shall tell You
where she suffered for it. For 300 years
che fought on behalf of the Divinity of God.
The Arians gave disturbance, and the ar
rows of persecution flew all over the known
world, and deluged it with the blood OF the
Church. Later on heretcs said that Christ
was not the Son of God, and that Mary was
not His Mother. The Church had to fight
against the HISTORIANS and shed her. blood
in defence of that doctrine that Mary was
the Mother Of God. Later on and the scene
was changed. Not till 300 years ago did
persecution begin nearer us. And then in
her defence she had to shed her blood.
The Huguenots demanded blood, and she
gave it. She had shed her blood in Eng
land. And in no other spot more than in
our own green ancient lsle-in every bar0ny
and parish Of twas the persecution ferc
er or more bloody. More than all this, the
Catholic Church has always stood firm. to
the truth. She always retained the God
within her, she had God here. 1t is no
victory that comes here. no angel who
stays in our altars, it is God Himself! He
has His throne upon our altars in every
church, and millions of Catholics through
out the world adore Him there and pay
Him homage. 1t is for these things 1 am
pleading here to o-day-the Kingdom of God
in the schools aud in the Church. Strength
en- your pastors hands to day that he can
furnish for your children of the parish the
blessings of good education. He was
consecrated as the pastor of the parish,
and you are bound to assist him, you are
bound to help in building up this kingdom
of God.
REMEMBER THE GLORY AND THE BEAUTY OF
THE HOUSE OF GOD.
Just as of old Jerusalem was loved because
it had the temple of God in it. Zeal for the
glory of God-zeal for identifying His
Honse and making it palace for God to
dwell in, these a,e rhe good things that
make "a kingdom of God. That man who
loves the glory of Goo on earth will surely
dwell with God in heaven. These senti
ments should inspire you with great zeal
to assist in this duty. But there is another
matter, and do not think it right TO omit
it. The Catholic Church has the promise
given, "Seek first the kingdom of God,
and all else will be added to you" This
must not be forgotten. Aud how have the
people answered this command T? Have
| they held the faith Have they looked up
on it that holding it was a question of life
aud death Look abroad at the world and
see how religion is now. In the East
where Christ established it Himself, it has
given way to the Greek schism and the
Turkish sword. The Normabs were once
the possessors the kingdom of God, but
now they have lost it. Where is it to day
| in England, in Denmark, in Sweden He
who seeks for the kingdom of God among
| those lands will not find it there,
he will not find the Sacrament of
Love there. He will not find an altar
among them. In vain he seeks in these
countries for the Eucharistic feast-it is not
to be found there. But if the traveller
seeking the kingdom Of God in these coun
tries follows on the wave of search, he will
land upon this green island of ours fire
land. He says, tell me, is the faith here
Have you the Sacramentsf Have you Godf
! He is answered by the genius of lreland's
hstory-l5o0 years ago we got the light of
faith in this land and we received it cheer
| fully, we never raised u question about it,
| but soon as the preacher came to Us we
heard him and received the faith. Then
the traveller asks another question; have
| you lost the faith, or have you it YETI Tell
him-teli him-oh, spirit of Ireland, that
the Kingdom of God ahides here yet. And
| then that genius of Ireland will take the
traveller by the hand and lead him to the
| first Catholic Church he meets, and show
him an altar there, aud show him a God,
and tell him to kneel down and adore.
The traveller will ask was there any suffer
ing for the faith in Irelandf Was blood
shed And then, oh genius of the truth of
Ireland, answer him, never was faith 80
tried ana SO prosecuted; never was blood
so freely shed and spilled as by the martyrs
of Ireland. AS soon as ever Ireland got the
faith, 1900 years ago, she began to build
schools and to cover her green bosom with
churches. From the eighth to the fifteenth
centuries the schools of Ireland were fa-
nous over the civilized world. Students
came flocking from every quarGer to gain
the education that the =" Island of Saints "
alone could furnish them, for in no other
land were there schools and churches as
she had them.