The Irish standard., 1899-11-04
A Word for the Missions.

In ali age when luxury and super
abundance of the good things OF life arc
within the reach OF the majority, it is
easy to comprehend how the
minds and hearts OF men might
grow to be Indifferent to the
needs and sufferings even OF their
cllow-beings: more particularly will
this be the case ii the iellow-beings are
removed from them to any great dis
lance. What the eye does not see the
heart will not grieve over" applies here.
Yet selfish and closed to all pity must
be the heart that could read, without
being touched, the following appeal,
made at the close OF an article entitled
"Basutoland," and published in recent
number OF the Boston Sacred Heart
Review: Reader, car you do any
thing 10 help these men? In the lives
OF many Catholics are hundred little
luxuries, yet there are missionaries who
have no bread to cat!" What pathetic
statement is contained in these last few
words, and what a pity that the state
mcnt should be true. But true it is, and
trucr the fact that the zeal OF Catholics
in the United States towards the spread
ing OF the Gospel, has been growing
| woclully Indifferent OF late years.
So long as the world lasts there will
be souls to save, and SO long as there is
a soul to save, so long will there be
found apostolic souls ready and willing
to make any and every sacrifice to save
it. Gods Word must be preached The
divine command to that effect is as i'm
pcrative to-day as it was when it was
given almost nineteen hundred years
ago. But on whom is this divine COM
mand imperative? On every soul to
whom has been given the blessed light
OF Faith. And that blessed light, the
most precious OF all gifts, was not given
to us to hide and put under 4 bushe,
but to diifuse to the utmost OF our abil-
ity. True, it is not to be expected that
each and every Christian should become
Il missionary in the accepted sense OF
the term. but we can each aid in the
great work OF spreading the Gospel and
OF making our blessed Redcemer's name
known to the countless millions who
still remain i'll ignorance OF His exist
cncc, by our prayers and aims; and these
should be unceasing.
We should not consider Our duty
done when we have contributed to the
collection prescribed for this purpose,
on the first Sunday OF Lent; but we
should constantly bear the good work
in mind and support it according to our
means.
a loyal subject glories i'll his ability
to spread the dominions OF his king, and
what better means have we, Christians,
subjects OF the King OF Kings, for
showing Our love and loyalty, than by
aiding in every way possible the exten-
sion OF His kingdom throughout the
world and helping to hasten that day
when there shall be but ono fold and
one Shepherd.
When hcrcsy can raise an amount eS-
cccdng ten millions OF dollars annually,
in this country, to spread schisn, and
with it hatred for our Holy religion,
can we not, children OF the One true
Church, rise to the occasion, make a
greater effort even, and SO offset heret
ical designs?
1t should be the duty of every Cath
ole to keep him and herself informed
on missionary interests, and every arti-
Gle written on the subject should be
carefully read. In this way we Shall
become better acquainted, and kept
more intimately in touch with the effort
Holy Mother Church is making towards
advancing the interests OF her Divine
Master in foreign lands; our own inter
est will be thereby aroused, and we will
naturally come to feel pride in assist
ing her to attain her great ends
Let us then gladly [orcgo some OF
the luxurics from our lives, and ii ncccs-
sary let It's be willing to make many
ard great sacrifices for the iurtllcrarce
and success OF so great a cause.
This we can do by responding 10 the
appeal OF The "Assoeiaticn Tor the Prop
aeatior OF the Fnith.' the headquarters
OF which are at St. Mnry's Seminary,
Baltimore, Md.