The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-01-31

Irish in their faith was not the mere
result of national temperament; it is
the blessing of their first apostle when
he asked their God that they should
never change their faith from Him.
But it is not enough to be devoted to
your faith-to cling TO it with divine
tenacity in spite of every difliculty-
you must act UP to that faith. You.
my dear brethren, are the representa-
tiveS of the only faith and religion
upon earth that caC save society in
this nineteenth century, and secure it
by those conservative truths of the
Catholic church-of that only church
, that can keep the world from rushing
back into that paganiSm from which
Christianity rescued it. And as you
are the representatives of those great
conservative truths in this century.
great and tremendous are your re-
sponsibiIities. You will be Judged,
not by your faith alone, but also by
your acts. You are commencing
new year. How have you acted in
the past years of!yUur life, and how do
you mean to act in this one, which
may be the last allotted TO you? A
new year. as a new babe, seems inno-
cent and beautiful. You look into
the face of q child. and it is innocence
itself; hut as soon as you begin to see
the reSembl ;nce with the bad father
and mother the Seauty and the inno-
cence are gone. and You see instead
that which will develop into the evil
passions of its parents. In the same
way the new year is beautiful TO look
upon, but it inheritS the evils of the
past, ard before it has advanced far,
unless some new elements are intro
duced, it will be wonderfully like its
parents which are gone before. While
yet the year is new, let these new ele-
ments be introduced. Perhaps you
have an inordinate love of human
things, and, if so, offer up your heart,
not merely in profession, but in per-
sonal love of God in the humanity of
Jesus Christ; and that will exclude all
inordinate human love, and you will
be offering love to Jesus Christ, as the
Magi offers gold. Are you distracted?
Does your mind pass from subject to
subject without interior recollec-
tion? Have sense, then, of the
Divine presence. real and living, in
y0rr souls, not allowing your mind to
b1 passing from subject to subject in
prayer. but have the real spirit of
prayer, and you will be Offering in
cense to God, as the Magi offered frank
incense. And as he who builds the
house labors in vain unless the Lord
shall build it. ask Jesus Christ, in the
benediction which is about to lie Of
fered, when you shall behold the Lord
wrapped in the sacramental veil and
laid upon the Christian altar, ask Him
in His Divine love and infinite tender
ness to remain with you; and during
this benediction pray for yourselves
and for your children, pray for this
suffering land, pray for your race that
they may not only be faithful in their
belief, but faithful in thor deeds; pray
for that young church Of the States
that she may be blessed, and that Cod
may send it the faith and wisdom that
sit by His throne; that the faith within
| it may be verified and intensified; that
its bishops and priests may faithfully
and persevereingty discharge their
duty; and the scattered members of
our race meet before the throne of the
living God to bless and praise Him for
| eVermOrP.