The Irish standard., 1912-11-16

pEOCialminE thclr love, prOpheSylnE
their triumph. by the cross of Christ
We kneel III trust tonight: guide us
through earth's darkness to eternal
light 1t was because they worshipped
Christ that now they were brought
forth to dio. 1t is Christ's name that
Is on their lips, as they bow to tho
Roman Caesar. 1t is the gleam of
the cross, it Is the glow Of the resur-
rection morning that is around them
as their souls go forth to God. And
the name OF Christ is spoken by the
quivcring lips that are troddcn down
in the dust where their martyr blood
Is already flowing.
Have we forgotten Christ in these
later days? In answer | would say
that even now at Il hundred thousand
altars priests are standing. saying.
Holy. holy, holy, God And in cloist-
crs throughout the world are another
hundred thousand monks prllsing
their blessed Lord. And outside the
cloister walls are multitudes belong
Ing to tho city OF God. who believe
that Christ is holy and that Christ
must be initiated.
The sanctity OF the Catholic
, Church is proclaimed III the oldest
creed ever written. 1t has in it the
spirit of holiness, the spirit of truth.
1t is holy in it's sacramcn,s. it's minis
+, trations, its doctrines and its moral
teachings.
The holiness Of its moral teachings
| is the great question. People pass
doctrines by as irrelevant. They say
tina, it is not so much what a man
believes as what he does, that counts
not what he Processes as his taith
but the kind nf life lie leads.
Perhaps in no ono field Of study is
! there more activity today than in that
of moral law, its scope aud it's appli-
cation. Doctrines arc set aside as
Irrelevant. but the modern mind is
strongly impressed with the value and
the necessity of moral code. Into
this activity VIC are glad to come.
Tho situation VIC confidently face.
and we do so procIaimng that in her
origin the church is holy and true to
her founder, and that equally so is
she in the moral doctrine she has
preached and still breaches, which is
no other thnn the teachings OF Christ
Jesus, our Lord. From out the back
ground OF Paganism which had writ
ten on its moral code a few virtues
that were perfectly natural, blended
with much that was false, corrupt and
olic morality rises mp before tho world
to astonish it. to conquer it, and Its
conquest to lead on to its regcncra-
:. tion. Justice. patriotism and honor
have been before Christs day, but
with the coming OF Christian dispcnsa-
ton there arose the supernatural vir-
blessed Savior there came humility,
: the quality or mercy, the beauty OF
chastity, the forgiveness of Injuries,
} the love of our enemies. And the
spirit of these as Christ proclaimed
. them the church preserves in thci,
every syllable, faithful to their utmost
truth.
Through all these ages from
Christs day to ours, strong efforts
tens OF morality than those which
Christ has founded or to improve upon
; that morality which the church has
preached and practiced. Philosophers
have scrutinized It, attacked it. Kings
and statesmen and those who thought
they could serve them have tried thcir
: hands at a change.
"Churchcs have sprung up claiming
: that the chief reason for their exist
early moral teachings of the gospel
that it was their absolute duty to re-
form the present moral code of tho
church. And vet after all these years
and after these efforts what change
what REFORM what additions have the.
made to that moral code which VIZ
have proclaimed yesterday and today
and which unchanged shall remain tt
the end.
j, I'VE place over against all these
j, codes the moral code Of the Catholic
!, Church. The moral system OF thu
Catholic Church rises up before thu
world. first to astonish. then to con
o nucr and finally to complete its re
:, generation"
oh john" Shriekcd Mrs. DOrkins