The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-03-29
(Coudnue from ageD
THE IDEALISM OF THE SUPERNATURAL
OUR CATHOLIC SISTERHOODS

humanity receives little from it; that
it is in nature and aspiration the alb
solutism of egotism-egotism sublime,
if you will, but egotism still. This is
a complete misapprehension Of the
idealism of the supernatural, COM
plete ignorance of the activities of the
Catholic Sisterhoods.
Do you seek the destruction of altru-
ism? Then destroy idealism, especially
the idealism of the supernatural Do
you seek the destruction of altruism?
Then reduce the soul to an atom of
earth, in warfare with other atoms for
the survival of the fittest: confine it to
the fatalism of facts: narrow it to the
circle of things that come to-day and
so tomorrow, forbidding it all vision
of the beyond and the above. This
done, there is no spring to the soul
towards things not ones own: no
sacrifice of ones self or of ones pos
sessions; consequently, no altruism.
But seek you altruism, the best, the
highest? Then attune the soul to the
idealism of the supernatural in its
best, its highest form.
The mystery in God is His love for
man. The Incarnation was the mani
festation of the divine being: it was
the manifestation of the divine love.
Love was the cause: God so loved
the world, as to give His only
begotten Son." Love was the result:
The Son of man is not to be minis
tered unto, but to minister, and to
give His life for the redemption of
many" Light up in the human soul
to whitest heat the love of the divine:
stamp upon it the image of the God
head: bid it think, love and move,
with tensest energy, as God thinks,
loves and moves-it is altruism in its
Hottest pitch, with utter forgetfulness
of self, with spirit of sacrifice even to
immolation in death. 1t is altruism to
perfection.
| have made use of the world altru-
ism-the regard of one member OF the
human family for the other. 1t is the
language of the modern world. In
stead the Christian Church uses the
word Charity-love. Both words in
dictate the philosophy of motive-the
motive in altruism being such as
humanity itself allows: the motive in
charity, the love of God and for God S
sake the love of the neighbor. Altru-
ism is of earth, charity is of Heaven.
Both have a common object, service
to fellow-men But the distance in
0oTt6 IN
Heaven: and so the distance in the
might of conservation.
Put together in one potent appeal
all motives of altruism, devised by
thinkers and actors in the field OF
beneficence, philosophers, philantro'
pists, sociologists-in responsiveness
it is the slender thread which one
rude touch breaks in twain, the
gossamer-web which a ripple of the
passing breeze dissipates, side by side
with the simple challenge of the In
carnate God: Amen, say to you, as
long as you did it to one of these my
least brethren, you did it to me"
Christian charity is the idealism of
the supernatural substituted to that
of the natural, Heaven substituted to
earth, God substituted to men.
The Services Rendered BY Our Cath
Ollie Sisterhoods.
The idealism of the supernatural
would you see it anear in the fullness
of it's truth? Study our Catholic Sis
terhoods-the glory of the Catholic
faith, the marvel of divine grace work
ing in human nature, the living mirror
of the virtues preached in the Gospel
of Christ, the valiant arm of the Church
in its plannings for the salvation Of
souls, and the uplift of human so
ciety.
What our Sisterhoods do for fellow
creature? Our Sisterhoods pray and
make expiation. Those of us who
have the knowledge of the myteries
of divine grace, know the value before
God of prayer for others, of expiatior
of sin for others. This, the gift Of
the Sisterhoods to their sisters ant
brothers, tossed hither and thither or
the perilous pillows of wordliness
6ApOS6u W u0dIu III L1Cd1 0hAp"A OSr
unless succor from Gods throne be
invoked upon them. Our Sisterhoods
give edification, by the diffusion
through the surrounding atmosphere
of the fragrance of the supernatural
1t was Cardinal Manning who said tha
the mere residence of Sisterhood II
a parish is a constant exhortation tt
the practices of religion.
What our Sisterhoods do for fellow
creatures? The land is strewn will
their schools. hospitals, orphan
asylums, refugees and protectorates
No i'll is there that their hand doe
not soften, no sorrow that they do no
appease, no sore that they would no
heal, no uplift of mind and heart t.
which their help is not promptl
rushed. The deeper the evil and tn
more repulsive the sore, the NOR
prodigal and the more unremittin
their zeal. The conservation is unit
death: the sacrifice is without limit
the disinterestedness absolute an
complete Wherever service is pos
sible, it is given: and given with tn
fullness of soul which gold and s1lve
do not purchase, which fame an
applause do not reward. Our Catholl
Sisterhoods! Their work is explalne
only when Christ's saying is remen
bered: amen, I say to you, as lon