The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-08-27
NUMBER 80

Ia
we are soliciting your charity in behalf of thea
schools, it were we'll that both we W no ad yocat
and You, who propose to aid in this WORK
should understand what we mean by trying {,
make Christiaus-w whether we intend formius
real men, or only common men whose educa
ton may be left TO nybody.
'Tis the easiost thing ia tho world to max
this latter sort of q man. You have only {.
take up little common clay, no matter whore
ana you soon have man of the common kind
| But our design Is to elevate man-to fashion
| the true rir while making Christiaps: Couse
qnentIy, no matter what may he my private
reasons, affirm that these two questions ara
| useful, appropriate and timely:
| What is greatness of charaoterf
Is greatness of character . duty obligatory
upon q ChristiRnf
May the Grace of Tod, during this discourse,
assist both you and me; you to receive The
| truth, ne to know how to announce IL.
Now, my dear Christians, the frst duty for
ms IL to ascertain whereabouts within as re-.
sides thnt which wo call character and great
ness Of character. In the first place. il cannot
be In what We call the mind-the faculty of
acquiring knowledge. great mind NAV be
coupled with an ignoble soul; q man NAV he
able to enlighten his ago by his intellissn oe
AZ the same time that he degrades IL by his
eoG! ono may be great in mind aud debased
in his heart; the tru tn Of all this is made only
too clear by the history of all ages, including
our own. Mere mind, then, must be lefs out Of
consideration, as an utterly unworthy factor,
u
true grandeur Of o human soui,
Gould 1t be that what We cali obaractor "a
slues ia the hearty IL 10 true the heart in
sso SOU better and deeper than the mind:
attaches itself, and In every attSobmsnt 49,
10 an element of nobility that may lead ns on
70 herolsm. Still. the more oapability of afEeo-
10 ZION t aoeS NOT spmce to form grand character;
INTO mere passions, and even whom these De.
sions are not ignoble In themselves, they are
.ources OF weakness. Thus, in slluding TO o
and sincere, We habitually call them treakNesSes
II the heart. One may love tend rly, warmly
md most Loyalty, and yet be only common
Dsn-Dut at the same time O man ipfniteIv
Preferable to the man Of mere mind
hut the heart Is not simply the faculty Of
owing, 1t Is also the citadel Of our freedoms. ie
>, the ~ source Of those impulses which direct
nr Will and our actions. Viewed In this I0ht.
pen, we DO ind, in tho very heart Of man the
onrce OF his true greatness, whether of sonl or
onat9cter. spoke Of impulses: for man
ever ac'S without some sort of impulse: ho
lands I'm movable and at rest so long as moth
* urges him to will and to set. Whateyee
rSes U.s. we designate as the motires of our
,tons or impulses.
This motive power Is the very action of God
mself within the sanctuary of our free will.
IL may Do called the nature we have inherit.
from our ancestors, or, In other words ~ IL
10 amount Of virtue which we have amnssaS
&c an abundant treasure within us, aud which.
inbned with the action of God and with the
III Vi OUT heredltary nature, forms that
"ehad9 apPertalning TO uS which gives to our
pulses, rs we'll to our will aud actions
cir personal character. When q mans i'm.
Uses are great, he is a great man F.; when they
NUE. be Ii little; when they are pitiful, ho
pitifnl.
A barbarian chieftain once visited the cele-
ated hermit Nil, and was so charmed by tho
l mans majesty and wisdom, that he ex-
lined in his usual rough way ASK Of me
lateVer you want, and will give IL to your
e en- hermit !, gently stretching forth his hand,
ed Dot Of all tho wealth of your
pre- ! ask only the salvation Of your
NY Here spoke Oot noble heart, and
q need only this one word to assure Won that
heaven you may expect to meet again. the
INIT who pronounced 10, shining there as one
tnose neroic hearts that occasionally hash
wart the skies 20 illuminate humanity
rom the earliest history of antiquity, down
onSh all the Christian centuries, I could
Ut oct thousands Of similar exam Piles; for,
INKS to "A inerciful G. I'd, IL the history of man
fruitful in mighty, it also abounds in sener-
deeds. Bat IN reminding you of these deeds
An only gently touch your hearts, without
ing 70 your souls sufficient light to answer
question, WHAT'S greatness Of character p
ave JIst given you one example, the exam
OF generous impulse, which unaffected
II Ia admirable words; but what makes
A'heEs OF impu!sef To decide this We must
yzs greatness itself-hnd out what IL il
what 1t can accomplish.
GOD Is GKEATw
hese are the words Of famous orator: in
exists the type and the essence Of greatness,
llso the type and the essence Of al things.
nly-as WIS said by our fOTsfathers-if we
% only Almighty God, we would have
dea of greatness, and would no longer need
hnition OF II. but although We cannot see
, he has revealed himself to ns through
works: IN every part OF the universe ne
placed something TO give Us an idea of bis
l:e or of bis attributes and when We look
Il the immensity of the scene in which We
q little part We have some external revs-
IN OF divine greatness. Space itself repre-
. to us the greatness of God, and that fs