The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-04-11
AS MEANB TO
SECURE THE END OF THE YEAR OF
JUBILEE.
Messenger of the Sacred Heart for April.
AS A MEANS II

Regarded Dy tnem as Gays SET apart Tor the
worship of God and the ordinary practices
of spiritual life, while the reorganization
of the Sacraments, the essential duty of
their faith, they sadly neglect and seem to
remember only as one of the idle and pue
rile fancies of their youth.
If we we're to assign the causes of this
great evil, two, especially, would seem to
forts of the enemies of our holy eligion
are directed, no doubt, in q particular
manner against those who, by their pre-
ponderant authority in the family and in
the State, necessarily exert q great and de-
cisive influence upon the destinies of society.
confine our few remarks to o clause, merely
passive If you will, but one, nevertheless,
which, ii 1t did not exist, would contribute
materially toward removing an evil which
all good Catholics must sincerely deplore.
Want of zeal on the part of many Catholics
and seeming indifference to the spiritual
welfare of others may be, in truth, assigned
as one of the causes of the evil we have
mentioned. We love to deplore causes in
dependent of our own will, and ask If moth
ing can be done in order to nullify their
action or conteract their effects. Certainly
We have fearful enemies against us; the
evil spirit has called into play all the re
sources of his hatred, and, unfortunately,
he finds upon earth men too willing to Sec
ond his efforts. But is this a reason why
we must remain inactive or think we by
useless repiniug or futile regrets to stay
the torrent which is rushing down upon
us The more active the operations of
the enemy, the more energetic onght to be
our opposition, aud practical zeal for the
salvation of souls ought TO Illustrate the
means which wicked men employ for their
destruction.
Our Catholic teachers of young men
must begin the work and lay the foundation
soliAlU Mapu If than, iunit fhair
ors too much to the present. and think not
Sufficiently of what the future requires.
Attending too exclusively to a certain ex-
terror regularity and outward form of pety
in their charges, they may not, perhaps,
labor sufficiently to arm them for future
struggles by rendering them true soldiers
of Jesus Christ, and by fostering in them
filial love for the Church, which will make
them ever ready to defend her sacred rights
and privileges.
Our clergy, also, whose noble efforts in
the cause of God are certainly admirable
less, fiDd something defective in the man
ner in which they discharge that great
duty, which the charity of Jesus Christ
has committed to them in behalf of souls.
Are they not exposed to the danger of
ministering only to the sheep which rest
securely within the fold, at the risk of for
getting those that are wandering towards
the precipice Even zeal itself is some
times deceptive. While devoting, perhaps,
their time and care to the progress aud
perfection of certain chosen souls, is not
the enemy making sad havoc among the
fathers of families, rObbing them of that
holy pety and simplicity of faith, which
are the only safeguards against tue mani
fold dangers that surround them 1t is
true that many of these men have culpablv
wandered from the Church, bat it is equal
ly certain that the Church would have her
ministers make the first advance towards
a recOC ciliaLioD.
Bat the task of retaining men to a
sense of their religious duties Is Dot impos-
ed exclusively upon the clergy. 1t is in
cumbent on all true friends of Jesus Christ
to aid His ministers in realizing the ardent
desires OF HIS Divine Heart. How can the
priest, for Instance, by bis unaided exer-
tions win back those who sedulously en-
deavor to avoid all contact and intercourse
with him To gain such souls he ueces
sarily requires the assistance of men who,
though living in the world, are, neverthe-
less, actuated by zeal for the salvation of
souls and the interests of religion. The
priest is often obliged to conceal himself
and be content to exercise 8a indirect in |
huence by his counsel and encouragement. |
Men often join associations on the con-
dition that they be strictly secular, 30 fear |
full are they of what they are pleased to
term clerical interference. But the word |
secular is the cause of M uch misunderstand- |
ing. In our present acceptation, it has far
different Specification than is usually at
tached Co it by the promoters of what is called |
secular education. The secular associations |
Of which We speak are not those whose spirit |
is in antagonism with the spirit of the |
Church, but those, on the contrary, who |
are truly devoted to her interest and actu-
ated by the spirit of her Divine Founder. |
Such associations ought not be secular in
the sense of warfare against the influence
Of the clergy. On tho contrary, it is their
duty to come to their assistance by lending
their various influences to the exertione
and ministry of the priest, and by extend
ing their action to spheres, to which, per
,onally, he is unable to gain access.
Those associations under the Immediate
direction and supervision of the clergy de-
napd. in turn, the active cooperation of
The faithful. The priest can give to these
movement and direction, but
levelopmentan success will greatly depend
IN the active exertions and zeal of mem
,ers who are docile to his instructions and
,ver ready to second his undertakings. All