The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-10-25
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| Qlr6ct, ike everything else In this
college of few words and great deeds.
Bossuet, in the early dawn of his celeb
rity, once preached here to the little
band going out the next day There
is nothing preserved but the text of
his discourse, "My heart is ready, o
God, my heart is ready" The young
missionaries stand up before the altar;
the choir chants the beautiful words
that belong alike to the old law and
new, Guam speciosi pedes evangeli-
Ia n i u m pacem, evangelizantium
bona!" How beautiful are the feet of
them that bring good tidings and that
preach peace!" Then during this
chant all come and, knelling, kiss
these happy feet that will carry afar
the good tidings and the peace of the
Lord.
| 1t is scene not easily forgotten;
the mothers who have borne them, the
| fathers who have toiled for them,
young sisters whom they have cherish
ed, brothers who must take their
place, friends of childhood, all kneel-
ing, weeping at their feet for one mo-
ment-the last 1t is we'll ordered
that the parting should be borne be-
fore the altar; this immolation ma
ture alone could not brave.
The thoughts suggested by this DE
parture" came back to me the follow
ing summer. We were at Muerren
above Lauterbrunnen, one of the most
cosmopolitan resorts of the higher
Alps. Among the changing crowds
at table we became accustomed to
the sight of Catholic priest, some
what over thirty, well-made and man.
ly, with rather a military bearing.
His face was German and he wore
blue glasses. He never talked to his
neighbors and generally brought a
book under his arm and read between
the interminable courses.
Finally, in some way we got to
know him, and he told us he had been
sent to Muerren to serve the Catho-
lie chapel for fortnight He seemed
glad to be spoken to, though his Eng
fish was imperfect. We found he
was naturalist and a mountaineer.
liz LOOh uO up Iu0 Iu0
day before he went away. What
myriads of growing and living things
he saw where we saw nothing! What
instinct, what culture he possessed!
Then he was fond of children and
patient, as was shown by his for
bearance toward a spoiled child of
six, who was an unwelcome addition
to our party at the last moment,
Midway up the mountain she pro-
fessed fatigue and the priest lifted
her up on his arm and carried her
all the rest of the way
The next morning on the terrace |
talked with him awhile before he
went away. Gay crowds were walk
ing up and down; some were gazing
through the telescopes at climbers on
the Eiger; young Anglican curate
in his mountain clothes, was balanc-
ing himself on the balustrades. He
was so pleasant to look at" human
natures daily food" / glanced at
my priest in his black soutane; there
was such a difference, l wondered,
and in my wonder | asked him some
questions.
He told me, after moments hest
tation, the things | wanted to know.
Probably he had never met an Ameri-
can before. He was born in the Jura
Mountains. He had served his time
in the army, and then, Having al
ways meant to be priest" he went
to study at the Propaganda Eide in
Rome. He was there six years. Yes,
the life was hard, very hard for the
first two years. Did he mean the cold
and the food and all that? No; he
had been in the army, and he knew
all about physical privations. What
he meant was detachment and prob
ing for defects and weak points of
character. After two years they prob
ably found he was the right stuff and
his life became more bearable. At
the end of six years he was ordained
and sent to his native village as par
ish priest. His parents were living
here, he seemed fond of the place
and proud of the large church that
had just been finished. "And you will
always live there?" | asked. NO.
he answered, latter the debt is paid
shall offer myself to the foreign
missions. l have always had it in
my mind to do that
That was the secret of it; he had
always had it in his mind, through
the rough service in the army, through
the six hard years training in the
Propaganda, through the enervating
Italian summers, through the sharp
frosts of Jura winters. That was a
vocation. l remember his face as he
said, Il have always had it in mind, y
looking from the gay terrace where
we talked across the deep chasm of
the Lauterbrunnen, to the stern black
Monch facing us, up to the Jungfrau
standing in all her white glory, the
sky radiantly blue about her.
1t is strange distinction, this being
"called of Cod A man must pay
for it with his life, or with all that
makes life sweet To go out from the
herd of his easy-living, low-aiming
fellows he needs to be hardened by
a process unknown to them, as he will
tread a path unfrequented by them
per aspera ad astra.-The Field Afar
$4,000 CATHOLIC CHILDREN