The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1910-02-19
Judge William c. Robinson Describes Fruitful Method Of Bringing
Honest Sarches for the Th Into the One and Only Church
of Was Received Into the Catholic Fold by
N "a Great Paulist Missionary.

lies open wide before them. They have
but to push on this apostolic mission
work as they have begun it, and the
effect will be what God ordains.
But to the simple layman the way is
not 80 clear. Gifted though he may
be with natural endowments and earn
est In his wish to do good, he has NO
Divine commission. no pledge of the
Lords guidance and protection, except
through that profound humility and
unhesiteting obedience which are the
characteristic virtues of the saints. I'm
less In extraordinary cases, religious
controversy Is not for him. and then
only when he Is appointed thereto by
superior authority. OF him let 1t be
said by all his neighbors, "His life has
been living sermon to this town." but
otherwise than this let him not assume
to teach inquiring minds beyond the
v 4 r J Z = 90 u s B j
simplest and most unmistakable truths
of doctrine and morals. The priest and
missionary are nowadays always ac-
cessible. The authenticated catechism
the approved missionary tract or larg-
er treatise ID everywhere obtainable.
Let him give these or lend them and
trust to their effects. But be extreme
" cautious lest by assertions ana opin-
ians ot bis own he mislsad seekers
aftsr krowls Es. Of provoke :antag-
onisns whlSh erAste unwarranted and
unavoidable hostiiities to truth. Il,
The Protestant world around us is
by no means an un- Christian world.
Millions Of Our fellow citizens, whom
we call NON Catholics. have yielded in
tellect and Will to, Christ. They have
received the sacrament Of baptism;
they believe all that the church teaches
with at least an implicit faith; they
live up to the light they have with an
unflinching loyalty; they belong to the
soul Of the church and are destined
to rejoice in her salvation. We know
not who they are, but God knows, and
that is enough; and we should exer-
else the utmost care lest by recklessly
or ignorantly stating error. or by or
fensively or prematurely asserting
truth we disturb their faith and pre-
vent them from coming in Gods own
time and way into the perfect light.
The chief thing to which the atten-
ton of the nom Catholic mind is at
this day most easily attracted Is our
relation to the dead, raising the ques-
tions: Where are our dead? What is
their present condition? What can we
| do to help them? What can they do for
US? These questions arise in every hu-
man soul and press most sorely at this
very moment on millions Of bleeding
hearts. And to these questions the
Catholic religion alone gives any formal
ana authoritative answer. To all these
bleeding hearts she says: Each Of
your friends still lives in all his con-
scious personality, the same immortal
man or woman who once inhabited thai
earthly body which you knew 80 well;
and unless with a full knowledge ant
4 deltberation he rejected God, he is al
ready safe in Gods keeping, while
every prayer and good work offered ur
| by you in his behalf assists him onward
into his eternal JOY" 'sI .5.
The answer Of the Catholic church
4 to this universal and absorbing ques.
4 ton furnishes the laymar with q ser.
! mon Tor the conversion Of non-C
clics which he may almost every da,
employ. with every word Of sympath,
upon the death OF our acquaintance
\ with every letter OF coincidence. in ever.
, friendly conversation on the world in.
] visible this doctrine may be irterwover
land on the interest thus awakened fur
ther instructions may be based, lead
1 IN, perchance, q new inquirer into tfl'
Church Of Christ. q e
This process ID so simple and the re- re-
Esult 10 certain that we may we'll ex
4 psct it to become the general inetho'
IIby which the Protestant nations retnrl
Into the Church Of God. "a strikfnl
|; Iinstance Of this occurred a year ag
4. II summer ol, q mission given to- non
Il Catholics BY one Of the Apostolic Mis
sion Fathers III = town Sin West .:vir