The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-12-16
REV. FATHER FELIX, s. J.

s>rsskren-I come in the name of the
|f<H1k khters of st. Teresa to fulfil an errsnd of
|j({Hs6rity come to hold ont my band to your
|f&4xb austi BILE devotedness in favor of an hum
fiS and poor Carmelite Convent, po weress for
|4 moment, to supply its own wants. And
|<6s.ee the FIRST condition of discourse is to
|<86at of it's ubject, it is with the Order of Car
Isl itself that now propose TO entertain you.
This subject, l acknowledge, seems not to
|&{3pr, at first sight, that human interest which
|41nehes hearts and inclines them toward mis-
|ar$ But it has for religious and pious au-
hoe, such as this, an interest of another
|$< Ier, and, do not fear to soy it, an interest
perior to every other. Doubtless I might
en-, even in this subject, sources of compass
|&5pn and emotion; for / could reveal in the
haven't, in favor of which come to speak to
|39n, touching situation and q state of ex
|euthorzes the unaccustomed proceeding re-
|1urted to to day by these holy Religious, by
through my voice, the assistance of
|ycnr chsrity. prefer to place myself at q
point of view more elevated, and, in Christ
|zHn sense, more interesting. wish to tell you
|shat Carmelite Convent is, for Christian So
|afsty in general, for our contemporary society
sn Particular, and for the pious family which
|z4 honored by this venerated name. i wish, in
NE face of contemporary prejudice, to show
|IQN in the life of the Carmelites, that which
|i& Aost conservative and most salutary in hui
practice of sacrifice; wish to
|2&oW you in it more especially an efficacious
|zeaction agaipst the disorders which corrupt
|eHR existing society, and the great currents of
H1t-4 WulCu hI0 CaEEyluR uS Ou ~ bu0 uDybb /
|eh to show, in fne, how these holy victims
44Aumsnity, true liberators of our age, beatty
mselves by their own immolation-three
ghts in general not understood, and
|sfhlch will endeavor to place in their full
II am aware that when We say these things
5&9re souls plunged BY the extinction of
<fsh into pagan materialism. our words may
|tesza to utter paradox. How many times
|HHNe you not heard worldlings fling at this
t1er, and at all that resembles it, their ana.
4ssnas and their contemptf Away with
|yhfoh is called holy; away with those mourn
kGl phantoms of the middle ages, which orr
|4ensury NO longer understands, aud which it
iefem which vanishes into itself, or svapo.
eepB in mist; away. in Gne, with those volnn-
|&fg victims of 8 saperanuuated fanatioism,
nsuming themselves day by day and hour by
|&Er in an immoIation useless TO the world,
saess to society, useless to th henselves.s
Such Is contemporary prejudi, {; such is the
zNfi i.chIistian demand whioh o1r age opposes
HI the institution of Mount Carms 81, Mani.
|leBtly the popular favor does not set in this
but for this very reason we should
|Rndeavor to stem the current by proclaiming
|&hile we protest against the tyranny of prsjl
ice, the conservative and ealn tary truth. We
|gey beg our bread; We shall mover beg popa'
|Nrity and in proportion as the progress Oh
tior alism weakens, in fraction Of Christian
mRnity, faith in true and pure Christianity,
|Ns apostles of Jesus Christ crccifed, we will
&Bor to awaken in souls the true Christian
|0esl, by opposing to TIE false ChIistianity
|8hich they pretend to make for Va, the pure
|'H& most elevated expression of true Chris-
H6is in this view, that, while showing you
|Hbm afar, in this discourse, the summit of
~ holy mountain, L beg you to consider
|aR5h me what the Order OF Mount Carmel is
humanity, what it is for cur century, what
b for the Carmelites tbemse elves.
|F|HnH frat hat I'd in
|sDiety. great conservative force ; because,
Realizing the ideal of Christian sacrifice, it
ntributes au efficacious reaction sgaiast the
1ical disorder of humanity it is q bulwark
f. society.
That which saves society is not what is
3isily displayed on the surfoce of tbings-the
wer Of industry, the power of war, the
Wer OF genius, the power of letters, the
yesRer of arts. That which saves society is
last reaches it's heart; it is that whioh acts
it's depths, in that faithful silence which q
Ngs - it is, above all, that which, In the
bonn of society, reacts by latent force
gainst the greatest of all disorders.
There is in the depth of souls, in the depth of
Hnaan society, an internal aud radical disor-
"a prolific disorder, the deep and mex
#nstible source of all other disorders, and,
nsequently, the ever active and ever effective
&nse of all the disasters, of all the mis-
sunes, and of all the catastrophes which
ege ard desolats society; this principal
rider is called by name that revolts ali
|.f generous instincts, because 1t IL the sign OF
oar disgrace and degradation; it is called
aNsAaess-5hat is to say, the love of self even
A&Re hatred of others, and sometimes even to
e hatred of God selfsbness-that is to say,
el loving himself even to alteration, man
4diDg in hatred aud execration all that
not regulate itself in reference to him, as
cans in relation to its end.
"a DO not inquire whence comes this selfish
eae; seize iG as dominant fact in the CEN
fe f our life, and creating, with an impla-
eab5e and cruel bstinacy, all the evils of the
|8prsa. 1 take humanity in the very act of
alashness; and, regarding with alarm this
ARing worm which devours all the germs
its life and felicity, ask myself what it,
in man. in q family, in societyH 1
What selfshness does in o mani It rem
him hard, wicked, despotio, brutal, dc.
bed, even to the destruction of himself,
% the destruction of others for the last
of selfshness is fratrioide-the brother
kills his brother, because he wishes to
all and to share nothing. What does
eness do in family It enfeebles. uu-
lnes it; CorruptS and destroys it. This
9s saying enough-it renders it nnfruitful
exPels it's life. In all and everywhere
is the principal of life; in all and every
20 selfshness is the principal of death.
hness has q horror of life it auppresses
Ause restrained by it; it is more pleased
deserted hreeide, where it may reVel