The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1890-01-04

RY 4, 1890.
liRious longings and aspirations; the
only way to meet it is to affirm the re
alitysof the interior life, to insist that
religion is chiefly a matter Of interior
experience Of the individual. The
sacraments are necessary, and are di-
vinely instituted; but this necessity is
that of channels the essential thing ls
the grace conveyed by then. It is prop
er, indeed, to insist on the need of an
external order to religion Or upon Its
divine institution. External nature
Itself is sacramental. The virtue which
makes it live Is interior, not apprehen-
slble in itself by the senses, although
they testify to its effects. Natural life
does not yieldsits secret to the scalpel
and the microscope, and vet we live.
Glace does not show itself in any sacra
ment, and yet souls live by sacramental
grace, and testify of it with as much
certainty as our living bodies do to the
presence of animal life.
1T rs THE DIVINE WILL
that now more than heretofore each
man should have convictions of faith
as distinctly his own as his separate
personality; that. having these convic
tloDs. he should thoroughly assimllate
them until they become instructive; and
that every man should havethe courage
of his convictions; that he should not
only live up to them, but should speak
them out in due season; that he should
feel himself invested With a personal
mission to propagate the truth. The
battle of to day IS not to be won by dis
cipline, but by courage. Courage with
out discipline is better than discipline
without courage. The modern soldier
of the cross should not be overdrilled
The Catholic church is not likely to fail
for want Of discipline. ANY cause will
fail without personal courage, as we
see in matters of religion in some parts
of Europe. Now, the courage of the
Christian is in the individuality of his
personal convictions. Religion now
adays is more a matter Of men taken
one bv one than of obedient and dis
ciplined masses. Discipline has its
place at the end of the nineteenth cen
tury, butit does not compare with per-
sonal courage, quality which is rooted
in intelligent conviction. 1.-THE perfect
soldier is machine,'' said some one to
Gen. Grant. '.'Y es." he answered, ''but
the American soldier Is machine with
a thinking attachment" q remark even
more true of the American Catholic
SO much for the supernatural life Of
Catholics. Towards that life all our non.
Catholic brethren are incessantly drawn.
The Catholic belief about Christ and
His revelations; the fellowship and com
munion with the saints in heaven; the
tender bond between the living and the
dead; the sOlidity of the Catholics con-
victions; the cbeerfulness of his hope;
the world d-renowned charity for the dis
tressed; all this arouses the longing of
every guileless soul outside the church,
They wish it were all true. But they
have been taught, saturated with the
teaching that it impsdes their personal
liberty, and that it cripples their intel
ligence. There are two natural gifts of
God. and they are the most precious
possessions of the natural man. It is,
therefore our duty to bring out con-
spicuously before our separated breth-.
rem the Catholic idea Of these and other
natural virtues. They are preparatory
to the supernatural, a man must be
intelligent in order to apprehend his
true end, and free in order to aspire to-
wards it unim peded.
THE FATE OF CATHoLICITY
in the United States will depend on th
answer to the questions OF what use
is the Church to the American people !?
Does 1t purify politics? Does it sanctify
the family? Does it elevate manhood?
Does Catholicity make men good citi-
Gems. good husbands. fathers and sons
Does it make men courageous. truthful,
honest, Industrious, sober, chaste, gen
erous, intelligent. Does it equip the
female sex adequately for its new
found opportunities ? Is Catholitity
productive of the natural virtues And
the more religi ious-minded Of our fellow
citizens will ask: Does CatholicitY tend
to maintain among the people the
truths underlying natural morality Z:
Does it help the human mind to know
that there is q God. the supreme arbiter
sof conscience, the reWarder of the good
and the punisher of the wicked? !? Does
it lead men to know q future and eter
nal state OF being Does it tell us Of
free will and the resp bility Of . man
for his every act, word and thought?
Is Catholtt3 :tsui iWatk dtf. natural ~
ligion and "a nio;raiity: = :.Itii upon the.