The Irish standard., 1895-01-26
FAITH.
Religion and Literature Reflect the
Character Of the Race TO
Which They Belong.
SUCCESS OF IRISH MISSIONS,

.SUCLESSa Ut IRISH MlSSlUNs,
Even Animals, ia the Gaelic Mind,
Says q Writer, Are Under s..
Spiritual Influence.
There is something in the blood Of the
Celtic race that is- opposed to mere
material I'm, and that leads to the high
or, supernatural world, says Father
O'Growney in the San Franclsco Monitor.
Even under pagan influence the Iriah
Celts had marked religious instincts, and
nothing shows more clearly the purified
aud spiritual character of even Celtic
paganism than the total absence from 1t
of all indications of cruelty. Kindness,
even towards animals, was always q
Celtic virtue. Providence had 80 ar
ranged that towards the fourth century
the pagan worship OF the Irish people
had lost its deiniteness, and the Gaelic
people logged for something that would
satisfy their desire for true God and q
faith that wuuld appeal to their natural
ly devout hearts. st. Patrick's mission
was, therefore, an Immediate and q
general success. We can gather from
the Saints own Confession" thst he
was himself filled with astonishment at
the rapidity with which the new faith
had seized hold OF the whole people,
"The sous of the princes and the daugh
ters of the rulers are now become conse-
Grated to God"
From that day to the present moment
the Irish people have never LIST the
faith. It has become pert OF their char
aoter as race, it is entwined with their
patriotism, it is knit up with their Ian
gnage, literature and traditions. The
Irish faith hasl, Asyiyid tenderness peculiar
tositself. Hence the success Of the Irish
missionaries.
Almost from the day ST. Patrick set
foot in Ireland, churches, hermitages
and monasteries began to spring up on
every side. They are seen to thepresent
day, preserved intact by the reverence
of the people. On the fertile inland
places, by the beautiful lakes Of Erin, in
the glens and on the mountain tops.
On the most remote islands and rocks,
these holy places of Ireland are seen;
small in size, but perfect in shape, and
lasting as the faith of their builders.
Beside many of them stands the round
tower, whose perfect lines and great
height long proved the stumbling block
of foreign writers, although any Irish
speaker could have told them that it was
simply "bel house" in name. The
Irish Cross bearing in the hard stone the
story of revelation, decorated with Gaelic
ingenuity, still speaks eloquently after q
thousand years. Treasures Of art like
the Book CT Kells, and the Book OF Dur
low, bear witness to the labor and
patience lavished on the Sacred Books.
Seduliue, the first native Irish saint,
was also poet. Born in Ireland, he was
destined to live in Roman territory and
to become one of the great masters
of the Latin tongue. The words in
which the Catholic Church throughout
the world sa)utes the Mother of God
came first from the heart, and were first
written by the hand Of this Irish exile.
It is more than condolences. Irish de-
votion to the Blessed Virgin does not re-
quire to be proved from theory; but has
any other nation in the world separate
name for the Blessed Virgin Mary, dis
tinct from other Marys? Any ordinary
Mary is s.Marie" pronounced s.maur-
ya), but "Muire" pronounced "mwirra")
is reserved for her. Often she is called
"Muire mhor" I'm. wore), the great Mary;
or "Muire mhathair'' I'm. Wauherl
Mary Mother. Looking for term Of
praise for our own st. Bridgid, the Gaelic
writer's could do her no greater honor
when they gave her the name Of ''the
Mary Of the Gael" Irishmen were glad
to assume Mary as their patroness, and
the Christian name now lives translated
Miles, but really " "Maolmhuire" (mweel'-
ral means the s'client Of MARY Its Lat
in form is Marianus, and more than ono
Irishman bore that title. So Malone
client Of st. John; Mulvihil, client of 81.
Michael; Mulreedy, client Of st. Brigid.
Another title was servant Of Mary e
sgiolla Mhuire" (gilla wirra), and the
then placed under her patronse
are now named Gilvarry, Gilmor and
some are Gilmnrry. In ghland soot
l4nd there are many nom Catholics of
that Gaelic name and che name alone
will prove forever that they have fallen
away from the faith of their fathers. In.
pain or grief, the Irish poor soon learnsd
to call Tor succor IL the name Of Mary,
and the familiar 8 yirra xirra' il but stle
yyocatiye use, s. Mhuireyn Z q Mary, Iryl