The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1875-10-17

only touch upon them. From what has been
said Of the religious character of your society,
SO. souls Is mot ss only safeguard sssns
intemperance, but . daily and almost hourly
practice of self-denial. Any one act Of self
Gs n1s iGr Inc .b love Oh 0o go0Gs o.
opening o Pacific railroad: for it will bring
you moro wealth, and that wealth You shall
continue to enjoy after steamboats, and raj AL
earth. Then by your example you are encour-
aging your fellow members and giving prac-
tical lesson to all your neighbors. And not
Saints. your good work before God increases
His favor to all your fellow-men. BY saints Is
meant not only those persons, illnstrious for
name of saints, but every Christian who is in
the grace of God-that is, every one OF you,
when your conscience is free from mortal Gin.
act of sacrificing your inclinations for some
good object not only makes God love you the
more, but for your sake HIS looks with more
mercy oil your brethren. So great is this
power of every man to win Gods favor for all
his fellow men that if Only ten good men had
been found in Sodom, for their sakes God would
have spared the wickedness of all the rest.
This is one of the great works that religious
orders of men and women are doing in the
world, particularly those that are devoted to
prayer and penance. They are not only sanoti-
and favoIs for their fellow-men. In this sense
they are called especially the salt of the earth,
turning away Gods anger by their penances
and preserving the world from ruin.
Thus, by your many acts of self-denial, by
your prayers and receiving of the Sacramento,
you are every day giving pleasure to God and
and from the country, and bringing His bless
ing on its prosperity. Another benefit from
your Total Abstinence is that it promotes do
msstic enjoyment. refer not only to the house
kept filled with poverty and sadness, changed
by his total abstinence into an earthly paradise
his wife and children so happy that they can
hardly believe themselves on earth. But even
where there was no excess before, the practice
of Total Abstinence lessons the inducement for
| o man to be away from homo, and gives him
that God has given him-his wife and children.
That 80 few men and women find peace and
satisfaction in their lives, one most common
| reason is, because they seek satisfaction where
| richer than they are, or in wasting both riches
and health in dissipation. [Applause;]
For the greater number of men and women
God, though He sends them trials in His wis
| dom, yet wishes them to have large share of
enjoy mont in this life, if only they will look
| for it where He has placed tin the family
what is obvious to you all, how the practice OF
| Total Abstinence gives q man more time to be
had at home; gives him more taste to enjoy
the company of his wife and children, and
makes his company more useful and more in
teresting to them.
| Now, in conclusion, some little counsels to
help you persevere. First, since it is a work
of God, for grace to continue faithful, depend
| not on your own resolution, not even on your
dislike or disgust for liquor. 1t is a common
stratagem of the evil spirit to leave g man
without temptation for length of time, even
| to give him q repugnanee for dangerous liquors
on purpose that he may feel secure, and so be-
come the victim of q surprise. When such 6
man falls back again, the greater was his con
6dence before the deeper will be his disappoint
ment and despair.
Then do not trust to resolutions. Make then
oftener the better. But while you make then
with all your strength, confess in your hear
that you are too weak to keep them, and asl
Gods help by prayer for grace to be faithfn
larly through the merits of our Lord in Hi
Sacred Thirst.
Secondly, be jealous to keep up the spirit o
your society and the earnestness of it's mem
bers. Ye2r parades YOUR banners and you
iusgnias are q serviceable means. anew an;
mata ronrsalves and vonr fAllHIE-mernbeTs
They are manly profession of devotion t,
your work, and they have q wholesome in a q
ence on the community around. Only TAX
care to use them with due moderation. TAX
care that the cost of these things do not in
volve your society in debt, rock which ha
caused the shipwreck of many a society other
. wise full of life. Neither should these outwar
! manifestations be so frequent nor SO long as
, be burdensome on your tim Nrd occupations
Your zeal will best be cised by tn
! friendly interest you take in our fellow-mem
, animating those who may have fallen of
especially the younger members, and thos
= WHO have not family and friends to take an IL
! terest in them. Thirdly-Be favorable to a
. lust and practicable means that help
. diminish in any degree the sin of intemperanc
. With regard to legislative measures, befoI
= you advocate them, you ought to conside
o carefully whether they are just and PRACTICABLE
and in what way they are likely to be executed
-, Sometimes they are honest but i'll judged e!
x perimeuts, that produce more harm than GOO
. Sometimes they are only reckless bids fc
II popular applause. But do not condemn then
= Well directed laws. though they can never d.
= stroy drunkenness, often check it's fr
= quency, or hinder some of its evil consequence
Any law that is not unjust and that 20
!, think would have o good tifect-even thong
q you are not sure-I advise You to give your il
= hueuce in its favor; and if it is enacted, d
= what is in you to have it fairly executed
= Many of such laws, not unwise in themsolve
? have failed of all effect because of the negl
gence or the connivanGe of the officers VIII
ought to execute them. 1t lie q very suitable oil
Q iect for the zeal both of individual member
q and of your corporate society, to observe whs
!, is the execution of laws directed against III
!! temperance. Applause1.
] Go on then, my friends of the Catholic TEN
r naranoa Union be faithful, be zealouB, be peI