The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1890-04-26
REV. CHARLES ". CURR|ER.
He Delivers an Eloquent Address in
Boston on the Noble Order Of e
Carmelltes.
THE SISTERH00D OF ST. TERESA.

THE SISTERH0OD OF ST. TERESA
The Catholic Unlcn of Boston Hears Prais
for the Precepts and Practices of
the Order.
The company assembled in Bostor
College Hall, on the 10th inst. was BY
far the largest that has ever attended {
concert given by the Catholic Union OF
Boston. The principal feature Of The
occasion was a lecture bv the Rev
Charles w. Currier. G. SIS. r., and
Catholic society people turned out ir
full force to hear this well-knowr
orator.
The lecturer was introduced to the
audience by Judge James l.. Walsh
president of the Catholic Union. Father
Currier spoke eloquently, and received
round after round Of applause. In be
ginning his address he said:
It is with great satisfaction. and an
intense feeling of pleasure, that stand
before you tonight to speak On a sub
ject dear to my heart. This satisfaction
originates in the first place. from the
character Of my audience, for | am
speaking to the Catholic Union of Bos
ton, and to those connected with it.
have, therefore, before me some Of our
most Intelligent representative Cath
Ohcs.
will speak to you tonight Of the ma
ture of the Order of Carmel, of it's use
fulness and finally Of the new founda-
tion which the Carmelltes desire.
Ihe Order of Carmel possesses all that
can render it attractive, for it is re.
ligious order. contemplative order, q
most venerable order. the order of Mary
and the Order of ST. Theresa,
There are religious orders Of various
kinds. differing from each other as the
stars of the heavens differ. In general
they are divided into the
ACTIVE AND CONrEMPLAT1vE ORDERS,
according to the predominance in them
of action or contemplation. TO the
latter the Order of Carmel, especially
it's female branch belongs. Bv contem~
rlation we understand, strictly speak.
ing, an act of the mind by which 1t rests
on an object. But, IN less restricted
sense, we may understand Dy contem-
platiOn, thought. reflection, meditation.
: Contemplation is especially working
of mems mental faculties. But as these
faculties are the noblest ones it is EVIL
dent that contemplation is our greatest
and most sublime and highest activity.
for by it we rise above that which is
material, we soar to nobler, vsster and
purer spheres. Hence the greatest men
the world has known, the leaders Of the
world, those who thought for the
masses, the philosophers. were men of
contemplation. Their services to hu
manity have been incalculable. The
glory OF a Hannibal, an Alexander, a
Caesar or a Bonaparte perished with
them, but the monuments erected
by the genius of an Aristotle, Plato
and an Aqninas have outlived them
and are destined to last forever.
Bnt if it is great and noble to con-
template truth, what must we say of
the contemplation of the highest truth.
the fountain of truth, the Supreme Be-
ing God? Certainly the contemplation
of the highest obj ct Is our noblest &C
ton.
The Order of Carmel, especially in it's
female branch, Is contemplative order,
Born in the midst Of solitude on the
beautiful mountain of Carmel,
THE PROPHETIC ORDER,
as it is called, gradually spread through
out Europe, and when In the days of it's
decadence 1T had somewhat fallen from
Its pristine splendor, G d raised up two
most contemplative souls, st. Teresa
aud St. John of the Cross to recall it to
it's ancient fervor. Although the Car
melite friars are also eng .xed in the
works of the ministry their spirit is
principally contemplarive. The nuns
are exclusively devoted to q contem-
p'ative life. When. however, speak
OF contemplatives we must not retre
sent to-, ourselves people with long,
san nctimonious and emaciated faces.
bigots in matters of religion, practical
fanatics. 1T is vulgar error" says
the late DR., Vaughn, Archbishop Of
sydney, in his life Of St. Thomas
AQuinas, ITO imagine that cont.mpla-
ttou leads to inactivity or fanaticism y
Experience teaches us otherwise.
Carmel is. in the first place, venerable
BY Its antiquity. It We believe the
Car melltes themselves their order traces
its origin from the Prophet Elias in the
Old Testament. Much has been writ.
ten for and against this belief, but it
has in its favor some very good au
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