The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-04-07

| ffsS4icS htbl OF DIG EeG3nbGfon, MO du 9fes 2bd
| his immortA, hopes. IL is on these days, teo
| that the innocent joys OF the family cease "a
| be nero desire aud become reality. stand
ing by the side Of hts wife, surrounded by his
children, he exercises the noblest and the
sweetest OF sll sovereignties, he knows his
| snbi cots, who are part of his own heart: they
know him, ho inquiries into their necessities
and the love o. labor, slim ulated by q desire OF
saving, enables him TO supply them. 1t 10 thus
that ha conles ont of his holiday rest, recuper-
| ated In mind and body, and this recreation
which scme presume to oall Objectionable Idle
| nees 10 on the contrary y fecund truce; for,
after baving enjoyed it, hs returns to his work
with rebewed energy and without that antipa.
thy which is tho out-growth OF compulsory or
condemned labor.
PRoFANATION OF HOLY DAYS.
And here, dearly beloved, how much might
We cay about this lamentAble custom which 10
of profanipg those holy days which belong
renlly 10 God, but which can, as We have eeen,
also be oalled mans days. How we feel our
hearts iaserassd when We see on Su1Ssys and
open, artisans plying their usuai avocations,
machiuery in operation, trade uninterrupted
aud preventing all thoughts Of the far more
important sfairs Of the soul and Of applica-
tion to tho study Of truths that are to lead Ms
through the straight paths of time to the sure
and bless ed destinies Of eternity.
No, dearly beloved, this work that 10 done to
the dstriment of Gods glory and of our most
sacred doties, oan never be made the work that
10 to increase public and private wealth. On
the contrary; for, as famous ipfdel OF the last
century has justly remarked, "the people re-
quire not only time to earn their bread, they
also require time to eat it with satisfaction,
otherwise they will soon cease to earn it" A
holiday renews the exhausted forces Of man,
and after 1t ho resumes his work with greater
pleasure and earn nestness.
From the few considerations we have rapid
ly referred to, ana notwitbstan ding oil we have
beon obliged to pass over in silence, you see,
dearly beloved, how unjust and unfoupded is
The war declared by the sectsries and infdels
against the Holy Church, in the name of oivili-
cation, inasmuch Ms che is the practical worker
OF tho conditions by which man perfeots him
self in the physical and material order. 1t is
clearly evident, on the other hand, that civili
cation does not exist where nations are with
drawn from the maternal discipline of the
Church, bat permit themselves to be carried
away by passions, which always prevent and
corrupt what would in itself be good and
snlutary.
Bnt the better to illustrate this subject,
which, because Of received ideas and of pre-
judioes, is, as We have said before, highly i'm
portant, We want to 60 q little farther and to
incnicate on your minds more firmly the con-
viction that civilization, not only has nothing
to fear from the Charob, but has everything
to hope from her and from her cooperation. It
would be folly to ignore o fact that looms up
before our eyes, that science, by dint of daily
study and wise experience, has availed itself
either unknown to man or escaped his control;
these forces, employed with art, by the aid OF
ingenious machinery, have made production
more rapid, the objects produced less expen-
sive, and consequently, they have made the
satisfying of our wants more easy. and the life
of those who have not much to dispense less
trying
There is nothing better than these disoov.
cries; but infdels have sought to make use Of
these fortunate and peaceful victories of
science over nature, ss an arm with which to
etrike the Church, as if these corquests had
been made in spite of her and contrary to her
desires. To give weight to this odions calum-
ny, the pretext is reaorted to that the Church
Is continually occupied with the sanctfication
OF souls, and that she insinustes into hearts o
mysterious horror for things here below !;
whence mon deduct that IL little good gro VS.
ont of. or is to result from, these advancements g.
it la due to the revolt they agree to call the
modern spirit agAinat the influence of the
Church.
1t would be difficult to imagine q moro fool.
ish and more groundless charge than this. The
Church cannot cease to proclaim nlopd to all
men the maxinas OF her heavenly Spouse that
the soul and its eternal salvation is the most
important matter that claims our attention {;
that it would avail Ms nothing to gain the
whole world, II We lost our own souls; that
wealth accumulated by years of labor may be
swept away in q single night.
1t IL an inestimable blessing that such in
attractions can be proclaimed among men; but IL
cannot for that reason be said tn ct the Church
qutry into the forces of nature and of their ap.
plioation to the production of that which con-
tributes to the usaRes of life. 1t is evident, on
reflection, that she cannot be opposed to these
studies and Inventions. inasmpch as sbe is
by the very nature of things, led to encourage
them.
Examine, then, ard judge for yourselves
Can there be anything more desired by the
Church. more earnestly sought for, than the
glory of God, and more perfect knowledge OF
the Divine Workman. which is to be obtaine ed
by the study of His Worksi
Now, If the universe is o book, on every page
of which Is written the name and the wisdom
of God, it is evident that ne who has read this
book most carefully and most intelligently will
be most filled with the love of God, and will
approach nearer to God.
If 1t is enough to have eyes to see that the
stars proclaim the glory of their Creator, if it
is enough to have ears to listen to the words of
praise that one day brings forth after the OF her.
and the secrets of Divine knowledge which
night showeth to night Psalm xviiD, with how
much more splendOr will the power aud wis
dom of the Godhsad manifest themselves to
him who will look into the heavens and the
depths of the earth. who will observe the
twinkiing stars, aud the atoms, the plants aud
the trees, who will gather to oRether those CON