The Irish standard., 1910-12-31
shun false teachers.
United to Visible Head.

man body. AS in one body we have
many members, but all the members
have not the same office; so we, be-
ing many, are one body in Christ. and
every one members one Of the other.
In one body there are many members
all inseparably connected with the
head. The head commands and the
foot instantly moves, the hand is
raised and the lips open. Even so our
Lord ordained that His Church, COM
posed of many members should be all
united to one supreme visible head,
whom they are bound to obey.
The Church is compared to vine,
all whose branches, though spreading
far and wide, are necessarily con-
nected with the main stem, and from
lis sap they are nourished. In like
manner, our Savior will have all the
saplings of His vineyard connected
with the main stem, and all draw
their nourshment from the parent
stock.
In fact. our common sense alone,
apart from revelation, is sufficient to
convince us that God could not be
the author of various opposing sys-
tens of religion. God is essentially
one. He is Truth itself. God is not
the God OF dissension, but of peace"
J see perfect harmony in the laws
which govern the physical world that
we inhabit. l see a marvellous unity
in our planetary system. Each plan
ct moves in it's own sphere, and all
are controlled by the central sun.
Why should there not be also har-
mony and concord in that spiritual
world, the Church of God, the grand
est conception of His omnipotence
and the most bounteous manifestation
OF His goodness and love for man
kind!
Hence it is clear that Jesus Christ
intended that His church should have
one common doctrine which all Chris
tians are bound to believe, and one
uniform government to which all
should be loyalty attached.
Where, then, shall we find this es-
sential unity of fnitn and govern
nent? ] answer, confidently, nowhere
save in the Catholic Church.
250,000,000 Catholics in World.
The number of Catholics in tho
world is computed at 100000, 900.
They have all one Lord, one faith,
one baptism, one creed. They re-
Ccive the same sacraments, they wor-
ship at the same altar, and pay spir-
:tual allegiance to one common head
Should Catholic be so unfortunate
as contumaciously to deny single
article Of faith, or withdraw from the
communion Of his legitimate pastors,
he ceases to be member Of the
Church and is cut off like withere(l
branch. The Church had rather sew.
er her right hand than allow any
member to corrode her vitals. She
says to her children: "You may es-
pouse any political party you choose
with this | have no control" But as
soon as they trench on matters of
faith she cries out: Hitherto thou
shalt come, and shalt go no further;
and here thou shalt break thy swell
ing waves" of discord. The temple
of faith is the asylum of peace, con.
cord and unity.
How sublime and consoling is the
thought that Withersoever 81 Catholic
goes over the broad world, whether
he enters her church in Peking or in
Melbourne, in London or Dublin or
Paris or Rome or New York or San
Francisco, he is sure TO hear the self.
same doctrine preached, to assist at
the same sacrifice, and to partake of
the same sacraments.
This is not all Her creed is now
Identical with what it was in past
ages. The sLme Gospel of peace that
Jesus Christ preached on the Mount
the same doctrine that st. Peter
preached at Antioch and Rome; ST.
Paul at Ephesus; st. John Chrysos
tom at Constantinople; st. Augustine
! in Hippo; ST. Ambrose in Milan; St.
Remigius in France; St. Boniface in
Germany; st. Athanasius in Alexan
dria, that same doctrine that St. Pat
rick introduced into Ireland, that St.
T, Augustine brought into England and
| St. Pelagius into Scotland, and which
Columbus took with him to the New
{; World, is ever preached in the Cath
olic Church throughout the globe
! from January till December-"Jesus
Christ yesterday, and today, and the
| same forever"
| Preferred Second Month.
Pat, wishing to take music lessons