The Irish standard., 1890-10-11
S:AyNCIT.ITI| [
The Sentiment One OF the Great
characteristics OF the Church

characteristics OF the Church
Her Founder is Holy, Her Doctrines, Her
laws, Her sacra1nents, Her Rites and
Her Spirit Are Holy The Depository OF
the Seven Sacraments.
The following is taken from the
works of noted French author, and is
translation by pupil Of St. Joseph's
School, near Emmitts burg, Md.
A great characteristic of the Church
is sanctity The Church is holy, since
she possesses all that constitutes sane
tity. Her founder is holy, her doctrines
are holy, her laws are holy, her sacra-
ments and rites are holy, her spirit is
holy.
Jesus, the Head Of the Church. is the
source of all sanctity. Jesus instituted
His Church but for mans sanctifca-
tion, and He will never abandon His
work. He has promised to be with it
ell days, even to the end Of the world.
1t would be impious TO imagine that
Jesus has not performed His promises.
The doctrine OF the Church is that of
Jesus Himself-the same that He taught
His apostles, aud that has been COM
municated by them to His Church. and
that the Church has disseminated
throughout the universe. All that the
Church believes and teaches came from
Jesus Does mortal dare believe that
our amiable Savior has taught any
thing that is not holy?
What more do we require to become
holy than to conform to the doctrine
taught by the holy Church
She has given saints in every state
and condition of lie; saints on the
throne and in private life; saints in the
world and in solitude; saints in the
states of celibacy and marriage; saints
detached from the goods of this life,
and living only for heaven; fleeing from
injustice aud corruption, serving God,
end walking before Him in holiness
and justice.
"Judge," said ST. Augustin, "of the
doctrine of the Church from what she
has taught publicly from the pulpit,
when multitudes assem- bled to learn
how to live holly in this life, that
they might hereafter be happy in
heaven" ....
When false doctors have substituted
their own opinions FOR her holy doc
trines the Church has silenced them
as soon as their erroneous doctrine was
well known.
The Church is the depository of the
seven Sacraments instituted by Jesus.
The great Apostle has said Of baptism
that Jesus purihes His Church by
water and by the Word of Life. What
sanctity is communicated by baptism:
Freed from sin all become children OF
God, and have the promise of eternal
life The Sacrament of Confirmation
strengthens the faith and renders ali
who receive it moye perfect Chris
tians. What more powerful means Of
salvation and sanctity than the
Eucharist that unites intimately with
God, not only by faith, but by the real
presence; that preserves the spiritual
life; that weakens the violence of pas
sions, and becomes the pledge of eter~
nal life.
The tribunal of penanoe, where sim
ners 90 to reconcile themselves to God,
and mum bly, ackno wledge their faults
with ,he firm resolution OF correcting
them, and of making satisfaction to
God and their neig hbors, is it not an
acquiring viz tue and thereby sanctify-
ing themselves
What more holy insti tution than the
Sacra ment of Extreme Unction that is
administered to the dying for their
spiritual and corporal solace, to purify
them from their venial faults, and
strengthen them to bear their pains, 4
and TO fortify them against the fear OF
death, and, above all, against the
temptations of tbs evil spirit and the
agitations of the soul that are so VIC
violent at the close of life.
The Sacrament Of Matrimony is not
less holy. 1t blesses and san CITIES the
union of the, couple and renders
it indissoluble, since it had God
for it's author, and it ia denied to
man to separate what God has united.
The Sacrament of Holy Orders conse-
crates subjects to the affairs of the
Church, giving them power to fulfill
their ecclesiastic functions and the
graces that are necessary to their sane
tity.
The Church is holy in her rites. In
her Communion only, is offered the
Legitimate sacrifice. 1.-THE pure oblation;
which, according TO the prediction Of
Malachi, twas to be offered to the Lord
in all places"
t'The Church." said st. Optatus, sis
holy in her desires, in her ministry, III
her ceremonies, in all the practices
she EN- ploys for the honor of God, and
TO render to Him the worship that is
due His Supreme Majesty,
1t is the spirit of Jesus that animates
the Church, and this spirit is the
spirit Of holiness. It is this spirit
that inspires the truly faithful with
Don tempt for the goods Of the, world
and its pleasures. .35ss5s
The Church has in all ages applied
herself to the sanctiication Of her
children, and to the present time, it 10
the object Of her zeal and prayers. It
is to multiply among the faithful the
fruits Of sancity that she exhorts
1 hen1 nv her mi /, iStara To the nerusa1 |