The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-03-04


these whom He forekucw He predestined
to be made conformable to the image OF
His Son.'-Romans viii, 90. Christ is
the teacher and the exemplar OF all sane
tity and to His standard must all those
conform who wish for eternal life. Nor
does Christ know any change as the ages
pass, for HE is yesterday and today and
the same forever. "-Hebrews xiii, 8. To
the men OF all ages was the precept given:
Learn OF Me, because l am meek and
humble OF heart. Matt. Xii, 60
To every age has He been made mani
fest to us as obedient even unto death.
In every age the apostles dictum has its
force: Those who are Christ's have
crucfied their flesh with its vices and con-
cupiscences. Would to God that more
nowadays practiced these virtues in the
degree OF the saints OF past times, who in
humility, obedience and self-restraint
were powerful Gin word and in deed
to the great advantage not only of re-
liglon, but OF the state and OF the public
welfare. From this disregard OF the evan
gelical virtues, enormously styled passive,
the step was short one to contempt
OF religious life, which has, in some de-
gree, taken hold OF minds.
That such a value is generally held by
the upholdcrs OF new views we infer from
certain statements concerning the views
which religious orders take. They say
VOWS are alien to the spirit of our times,
i'll that they limit the bounds of human
liberty; that they are more suitable to
weak than to strong minds; that so far
from making for human perfection and
the good OF human organization, they are
hurtiul to both, but that this is as false as
possible from the practice and the doc
trine OF the church is clear since she al
ways has given the very highest approval
to the religious method OF life, nor with
out good cause. for those who under the
Divine call have freely embraced that
state OF life did not content themselves
witt, the observance OF prcccpts. but, go
ing forward to the evangelical counscls,
showed themselves ready and valiant SOL
dicrs OF Christ. Shall we Judge this to be
characteristic OF weak minds, or shah
we say that it is useless or hurtiul to
more perfect state OF life?
NO LOSS OF LIBERTY.
Those who so bind themselves by the
vows OF religion, far from having suffered
a loss OF liberty, enjoy that fuller and
ircer kind. that liberty, namely. by what
Christ hath made us free. And this fur
tl,er view OF theirs. namely. that the re-
lgious life is either entirely useless or of
little service to the church. besides being
injurious to the religious orders, cannot
be the opinion OF any one who has read
the annals OF the church. Did not your
country. the United States. dclvc the be-
ginnings both of faitl, and culture from
the members of these religious families?
To one of whom but very lately, thing
greatly to your praise. you have dccrced
that statue be publicly erected.
And even at the present time. wherever
the religious families are found, how
speedy and yet how fruitful harvest OF
good works do they not bring forth?
However. many leave home and seek
strange lands to impart the truth of the
gospel and to widen the bounds of civil
ization, and this they do with the greatest
chcerfrlncss amid manifold dangers Out
OF their number not less, indeed than
from the rest of the clergy. the Christian
world finds the preachers OF Gods word
the directors Of conscicnccs. the teachers
OF youth and the church itself the cx-
amplcs of humanity.
Nor should any difference of praise be
made between those who follow the ac-
tive state OF life, from those others, who,
charmed from solicitude, give themselves
to prayer and bodily modification. And
how much. indeed, OF the good report
these have meritcd and do merit is known
surely to all who do not forget, that the
continual prayer of the just man" avails
to placatc and to bring down the bless
'"S' w 'S"NNlI, WIKI 10 SUCH prayers
bodily modification is added
But if there be those who prefer to
form one body without the obligation OF
the vows let them pursue such course.
1t is not new in the church nor i'll any
wise censurablc. Let them be careful,
however. not to set forth a state above
that of religious orders. But rather, since
mankind are more disposed at the present
time to indulge themselves in pleasures,
let those be held in greater esteem who
having left all things, have followed
Christ"
SCRIPTURE TEACHINGS.
Finally, not to delay too long, it is
stated that the way and method hitherto
in use among Catholics for bringing back
those who have fallen away from the
church should be left aside and another
one chosen. i'll which matter it will suf-
tlce to note that it is not the part of pru-
dencc to neglect that which antiquity in
its long experience has approved and
which is also taught by apostolic author
ity. The Scriptures teach us that it is the
duty OF all to be solicitous for the saliva
ton OF ones neighbor according to the
rowcr ,>.o-,:.:o.,