The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-04-04
READ GOOD BOOKS ONLY.
An Instructive Lecture On the Choice
OF Literature for
Study.
GREAT FACTOR OF SELF CULTURE.

That Is What Reading is, But There
Ia Not Enough Catholic
Literature Read.
Rev. J. l.. Codsre, in recent lecture
before the Newman Reading Circle OF
Rochester. n. Y, said: have watched
with great interest the work OF your
association since the dav of its estab-
lishment, both on account of your wOr-
thy pastor. on account Of some OF it's
members by whose friendship [ feel
honored, and on account of what con-
,ceiva to De the objects for which it was
established. These objects, so far as I
can understand. are the cultivation and
promotion of Catholic literature and
improvement of your own minds.
This literature is sufficiently broad in
it's scope to satisfy the most ambitious
minds and the most versatile lntellects;
aud false notion a. to its real nature
has often served as stumbling block
to its advancement.
I'he great ecclesiastic after whom
your circle is named defines it in clear
and unmistakable terms. In his ''Idea
of Uaiverslty' he says; ''BY Catho-
lie literature is not to be understood a
literature which treats exclusively or
primarily Of Catholic matters, Catholic
doctrine, controversy. history, persons
or politics; but it includes all subject Of
literature whatever, treated as Cath
olic would treat them, and as he only
can treat them. For it is evident that
nothing more or less than religious
literature its writer's would be mainly
~ecclesiastics; just as writers on law are
mainly lawyers, and writer's on medi-
cine are mainly phYiclans or surgeons.
Catholic literature is not synonymous
with thology, nor does it supersede or
interfere with the work Of catechists,
diyines. preachers or schoOlmen."
That the cultivation of Carholl litera-
tuTe has for long time been at it's
apogee in this country is only too plain
to all thinking Catholics: and TO no one
does it give more pain than to priests,
who are ever anxious to see their con-
gregations advance in knowledge, were
it only to refute once and forever thu
timeWOrn calumnY with which its enc
mics assail the Catholic church when
they say that she is the mother of lgnOr
ance. Catholics, it would seem, think
because they belong to the true church
and because they know that Gods ON
nipotent hand constantly uptolds and
sustalns her, that no effort whatever is
required of them. And hence has
grown up that apathy and disregard of
Catholic interests, and chiefly of Cath
.0lic literature. 80 disheartening to
thinking men and women.
In happy hour, however. the idea
of the reading circles was evolved and
from that time an interest in Catholic
literature has sprung up which if GER
tain augury of success.
But besides the united effort of each
circle to advance the cause of Catholic
literature there is, moreover, the pros
Dect of individual self-culturs. And
in this respect, regret to say. you have
far outstripped Catholic young men
There is, as a rule, yerv little literary
culture, and what is worse, very little
desire OF 1t for themselves amongst the
Catholic young men Of this city. They
are content with being empty headed
dawdleIs. and are satisfied Ito nourisb
a dull life within the BRAIN" They
sorget-if, indeed, they ever remember
sd--ths portentous question PROFOUND
cd by the grandest impersonation of
human thought ever created by poet,
and the equally pOrtentOus answers
What is man,
If his chief good and market of his time
BE but to sleep and feed? A beast, no more.
They think they have attained the
ann of their existence if they pose stat
uesquely and talk soft notblngs to ''dear
creatures for whom the sum Of human
happiness and all that makes life beau
tiful consists in listening to vapid com
pliments and in being aattered by be
ings whose intellectual outfit is the
ghost of a departed quantity. Try to
enlist the average young man in the
discussion of any literary subject, and
for your pains you will receive laugh
or stare. in which effrontery struggles
for supremacy with imbecilltY; or else
no answer like that of Canning's Needy
Knife Grinder: "Storv2 God bless
you'll Ihave none to tell. SIR" Here
be unpleasant things to think of; and
as one Of the lords of creation" it Is
not f1attering to our traditional superb
oritY to make the admission. But
there is compensation for the philo
sophie mind in Cicero's wise saying: