The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1890-07-12
At ST, THOMAS SEMINARY.
Father James Byrne Addresses the
Students of the Diocesan
Seminary.
COMMENCEMENT DAY EXERCISES

A Lecture That Uan Be BEAD
With Much Profit
By All.
The following address delivered by
Rev. J. G. Byrne, pastor Of the Church
of the Immaculate Conception, Mime
apolis. to the students of st. Thomas
Seminary at the closing exercises held
on the afternoon of June Goth, is full Of
sound advice and contains many prac-
tical points Of interest to young men.
The speaker addressed them as follows:
Invited by the Very Rev. President
of this deserving seat OF learning, dear
for many reasons to us all, TO make an
address to the students who are about
to leave for their homes, cannot for
get that moments Of parting like these
produce q lasting impression on the
Youthful mind. It is for this reason no
doubt that these occasions have been,
time out of mind, improved to impart
thoughtful advice In the hope that when
it sinks deepest, it must be most fertile
in results. In the few words | have to
say shall not depart from this worthy
custom and without ambitionlng any
thing great I shall -endeavor to point
out a few natural virtues which are inn
peratively prerequisite to, and produc-
tive Of enduring success. AS these vlr'
tues are easily within the ability of all,
success to my mind is beyond the ability
of none.
In advance need not tell you, gentle
men, that your life would be mockeSy
ofyourselves and OF your Maker WITHOUT
success. It is true you may like Con-
nell outliye it, you NAV like Lincoln ole
in its embrace, or like the Saviour OF the
world you may die to achieve it; but
whether sooner or later it comes, the
necessity Of it's coming is beyond ques'
tion. No man has tight to cle SO MS
career on earth prodt!ess. traceless
resultless. as the summer cloud Hits
over the blue vault of the Heavens
without leaving trace behind. What
ia more no man can be nonentlty.
He must by virtue Of the fulhllment OF
his mission be successful in the world
or. lamely carving out his God-glven
work he must be failure and by so do
ing must clog the wheels Of the worlds
progress and mar the integrity CT the
divine plan.
Now do not harbor any misglvlng.
gentlemen, that the Creator destined
YOU for a mission and then with cruelty
the most refined withdrew from you
the means of accomplishing it. BE not
d1sheartened if nature has apportioned
TO YOU her goods with lack lavish hand.
Those goods called bona tortunae, the
want of which so often depresses a
Youths best impulses are not at all ne
cessary. Who more hideous looking than
Socrates, yet by means Of the virtues J.
shall now unfold he was enabled TO
gather around him the elite OF the
Athenian youth, the temperate Char
mides, the amiable Lysis. the faithful
Critic? Who more handicapped than
Demosthenes, yet despite the fact that
he was a poor wight incoherent in
speech and ungracious in manner he
left an unrivalled name for oratory
hahind himp Isaac Newton was
slow. Milton was blind, Alexander
Pope an invalid and cripple. and with
out multiplying examples indefinitely
let US but recall the great Cicero, the
scholars admiration and JOY. This
great philosopher, orator and statesman
was of obscure birth, so much so that
the proud patricians Of Rome often
sneeringly called him a parvenu. homo
novus; yet bv assiduou toll and strengh
of character he rose to great eminence
and as opportunity offered clothing his
sentiments Of righteous Indignation
with the majesty of language no was
able to send to an ignominious grave
the noble born Cataline and the corrupt
aristocrats who had conspired against
the Republic.
II then neither mental sluRglshness,
nor physical deformlty, nor low degree
can thwart mans success in life,
what are the positive attributes which
will enable him to attain 1t? There
are many, no doubt, but if the three
which I recommend are possessed III
their fullnesst they Will make you perfect
men; were they supernaturally elevated
by Gods grace they would make you
saints. .
The first regards yourselves, the Sec
ond your neighbor, the third your
work. The first attribute regards YOUR
! selves and it is ;singleness Of heart and
( purpose. This Is that beautiful quality
ofthe soul which gilds II with innocence q!
It Ii manifested externally bY candor p1 y y
words. bY straig orvarl1 llE' ness Y deeds