The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-03-05
Lent.

| " and almost universally IN Gil It's PuoHe
affairs There have been ages when the
Church was respected and obeyed by prln
ces and principalities. Vice and crime al
ways existed, but their excuses were
checked by the veneration in which the
Church of God was held and the practical
| influence which her teachings had on every
| body, to q greater or less extent. now
the world has proclaimed its ectire lnde-
pendepce of her in the empire of manners
and morals. The State openly persecutes
her society INDUCES with unrestraintln
every kind of luxury, extravaganza and
vanity. 1t runs after wealth with head
long blindness, and plunges into the fIivo-
lous dissipation of fashionable life with an
sagerness which amounts to intoxication.
1t sees no happiness save in sensual enjoy
ments, and pursues them with an impatient
greed that does not always hesitate atthe
boundaries of wrong. So that not only
extravaganza and dissipation openly defy
the Church from the citadel of social ap.
prevail, but dishonesty and vice scott at
her with on imnrderce horn Of the inau
ence which they undoubtedly WELD in
high places.
We do not mean that the devil is more
active now, or that the flesh is stronger,
than has always been the case, but tina
the spirit of the world bears q more undis
puted sway in this age than it has done in
some others 1t therefore behooves Catho
lies to combat it the more strenuously and
warily. The world is eager for money
the Catholic cannot well escape the infec-
ton, for it is epidemic, but he can coun.
teract it by giving the more literally to
charitable and religious objects. The
world runs mad after pleasures-balls,
theatres, etc; the Catholic will, of course,
be tempted to g ile along with thu gay cur
rent, but the habit of fortitude will enable
him to breast it's treacherous waters, and
that habit can be formed by acts of morti.
| fcation and self-denial.
Let him follow the path marked out by
holy mother Church. During the mad days
of carnival, when folly holds it's highest
revels, we see her ssaltars lighted with
blazing candles, and her Divine Founder,
in the Blessed Sacrament, exposed to the
alteration of the faithful. With special at
| fractions she allures her children to acts of
| piety and moments of seclusion, where by
holy prayer they may gain strength to pass
unframed through the follies of the seethiDg
world outside.
The greater the danger the greater
should be the watchfulness of him who il
threatened. In times like these, OF gene
| raj dem oralzation, public and untlushing
in its character, the notifications of Lent
come opportunity to aid in preserving the
Catholic heart from worldly influences. He
who feels truly that he is going through a
season of penance, will perceive 4: once the
improperly of mingling in scenes OF gaiety
and levity; he whop puts aside the dainty diab
and goes hungry from a bountifol table,
will turn with the more frmness from
those immodest familiarities which the
customs of society sanction as good man
ners he who voluntarily hides away the
glittering jewels and costly apparel of him
self and family, replacing them with plain
and simple clothing, will feel less iIclina
ton for the wild speculations and dishonor.
able expedients 80 common among the ex
travagant and ostentatieus.
But while the disrcspect with which the
Church is treated is greatly to be deplored
it must be admitted that it ia not withou:
some advantageous aspects. The true sol.
der is he who has fought. Theoretical vir.
tue is good, bat it cannot have the sta
bility of that which has been tried and has
resisted temptation. 1t is we'll not to have
witnessed the follies OF fashion and the
debaucheries of vice, but it is better, hav
lag been brought face to face with them, tt
have despised them. There is a robust
ness which comes Of exposure, an invinci
BILE fidelity in the courage which has beer
matured under fire. Tie Catholic who
has passed through any carnival of folly
q without pausing to daily with its allure
ments, who has often withdrawn from tn,
din of worldly pre.occupation to adore