The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-12-16

| tne lhumste and only eficacious reaction
| against SCI kshness Christian sacrifice, when
absolute, is the death of eelfishpess; it is the
total abnegation of self it is life humiliated
despoiled, seourged, inundated, cruoifed it
! Is, in word, life out of self, exclaming, with
st. Panl, at the sight of Calvary: TirO, jam
| non ego ririt zero in me CHtistu8 Here Is the
| remedy for selfshpess; here is the reparative
| sacrifice; here is, in a word. the only thing
| truly protective and truly saluta in human
ity.
Yes, know it well, here is for you projection
aud salvation. Nobody will protect, nobody
will ever save you ficaco ously, bnt on condi-
tion of touching by sacrifice tho cross. which
protects and saves all in humanity. Selfish-
ness never protects and saves but in appear
ance; its projections are snares, its benefits
calculations, and its devotedness only bar
gain. When people bave need of being
saved, they never are SO except by suffering
aud by sacrdoe. !: man, Christian and an
apostle, i thrice affirm this law " ich sustans
the world, and believe it with an invincible
filth: 10 sacrifice ones self 10 TO sore 1t is
thus that the great law Of numan aud f.ater-
nal solidarity is accomplished in humanity.
Every soul that Ienounces itself gives to
another soul. Whoever suffers volunt tarily re.
moves o snffaring from some one. Hence, you
can understand why the Order OF Carmel Is o
salutary power in humanity; and already you
begin to comprehend why have been able to
say Carmel is o social bulwark. 1t is be-
cause Carmel appears in the midst of Christi.
anity as the complete realization of Christian
sacrifice; it is the ideal of the Christian life !;
it is the perfection of sacrifice.
heEaEU, IN erect, Gn6 Lie OF Carmel, at lis
beginning. in it's middle, in it's end every
where 1T appears to you as an ideal of sacri-
foe, and the Carme1ite as q victim vowed to
your salvation by her immofations.
And, in the first place, consider the life of
Carmel at its first point of departure. At that
solemn and decisive hour of the first call of
God, the life of Carmel reveals itself, in the
depth of q noble soul, a spontaneous i'm
pulse toward heroic sacrifice; it is the passion
of absolute devotedness, springing mp in o
heart generons enough ID to compreben end that we
we never give enough. Who knows not in
what way the vocation of Carmel reveals it.
self to young soul still pure in life, and al.
ready great by her aspirations It comes or
dir arily as q whisper from God and in one of
those undefaed longings, by which this chosen
soul seeks what is most beautiful, grandest
and most meritorious in the sight of God and
man 1t comes, in word, in desire of heroic
immoIation.
Assist, brethren, with devout recollection at
this sublime spectacle, where great soul is
suddenly all the bearings and all the relations
Of her lifeI 1t is mystio drama, which the
angels regard with admiration, of strong
Christian tearing herself from all that she
holds most dear, TO spring toward all that is
most grand. Sac is twenty years of age; she
is in the bloom of life-the beautiful and ra-
diant season well called the spring g-time of
life; she may, at her pleasure. bresthe all its
perfumes; she may gather all its flowers she
may place on her brow all its Lilies aud roses.
Brought up amid the destinations of the world,
of Calvary, she feels her heart subjected to
two contrary attractions: while the world
charms ne on one side, Calvary draws her to
the other One day, she returns from bcil-
liant fete where ennui had visited her in the
Yecy mid tof pleasure; she brings back from
all those vain pomps, tcom oil those deceitful
pleasures an Immense, an unoetiu able void,
which il only sttestation of the greatness
OF neI sJul, and of tlTs intinity of her desires.
She looks at her crucifx; she sees her God
stripped, scourged, crowned with thorDs; and
la tnnlE l,n- cd
on her throne, and perfumed like 3 divinity IN
a cloud of incense. She compares with that
cro wn of thorns her crown of flowers; with
that stripping, her fnery; with that scourgiog,
her pleasures; with the pains OF that eacrl-
flee, her selfish joys. She prostrates herself
before her God, she meditates, adores and
her jewels. and all her vain adornment: All
nnderstsnd," says she; "this world which /
have just seen, and to which I myself be-
oDged, bellies Jesus Christ and His Calvary.
l have doue with it henceforth l will be O
Christian"
1t is then that the elegant wording becomes
q true Christian, and applies herself 10 pur-
sue, through the ways of tho world where she
is still forced to walk the ideal of His life
which has appeared to her ; she has strange
dreams for a soul of twenty years; she dreams
those austere things which are the realities of
Calvary. The Crucified has made her feel His
divine attraction in the most heavenly part of
her sonl she wishes to follow Him (; with Him
seeks her way of the GROSS asks Jesus on
what holy mountain, or what sacred soil she
too may meet with her Calvary. And one day
she sees, as in pure light, Carmel appearing
to her che hears again the voice of Teresa
"Aut patti dut m0ri." And, after having
prayed, prayed again before picture of the
Saint tranef cured by her love; after having
contemplated that seraphic countenance, those
eyes fixed on the invisible, and that breast
painting with the aspiration for suffering and
sacrifice, she says to herself: 81, too, will be
a Carmelife." Some months pass, snd the
young wording comes knocking at the door
of the humblest of convents: What do yoa
wish 7" 81 wish to enter the Order of Mount
Carmel" "Why, Mount Carmelf" " In order
to be more than elsewhere victim with
Jesus" "What are you seeking, then, my
ohiIdH" Sacrifice; nothing bot sacrifice"
" If such be the case, enter this is the abode
of sacrifice; this is the temple in which ems
immolates herself; come, be q victim, and
with save a world which is destroying
itself by selfshness."
Here is the history of vocation to Mount
Carmel. You see it is the breath of God pass
ing over great soul, in order to imPel it to
sacrifice. The world promised her everything;
she has wished for nothing that it promised
she has said to it: Keep thy balls, thy shows,
dancaa thV Rnlfiah hnDnnesa m the