The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1913-12-06

corrupt, a society which in fact
though not in name Is rapidly be-
coming pagan. And for the purifying
of such society nothing short of a
very strong and powerful leaven, and
plenty of it, can possibly be adequate.
We cannot afford to put our trust in
half-hearted efforts, in a self-compla-
cent, respectable and contented medic
Gritty, in that kind of mediocrity of
which the unexpressed motto may be
cast in the form of a new beatitude,
viz, Blessed is the man that is ex-
actly like his neighbor, for he shall
be as middling as the rest" Medic
Gritty will win no victories, in the So
cial or in any other order. To change
the metaphor for moment, you can
not kindle a flame with lukewarm
water. To this end there is need of
the fire of charity and zeal And who
shall tell what victories may be
achieved by a strong body of repre-
sentative Catholic young men, every
one of whom should be imbued with
the spirit of generous self-sacrifice
for the common good? Who shall say
what unlooked-for results might be
attained if only it could pass into a
common proverb in the practical or
der, that such man must needs be
a desirable employer, because he is a
Catholic, and can therefore be relied
on to treat his dependents from the
highest to the least with full meas
ure of justice and of charity; that
such another must needs be worker
whom it is desirable to employ, be-
cause he is Catholic, and therefore
can be thoroughly trusted in the mat
ter of sobriety, honesty, industry, and
of that other social virtue which is so
urgently needed where numbers of
work people of both sexes are thrown
together, | mean the characteristic
Christian virtue of purity, with all the
self-restraint which it implies; and if,
lastly, it were true that every Catholic
man in a parish could be relied upon
by his parish priest for the most
thoroughly loyal and unstinting CO.
operation in any good work of charity
and zeal that might fall within the
scope of his abilities and opportuni-
ties. If only all this were true, or
even approximately true, then indeed
the Catholics of this country would
be, as they ought to be, standing
example to the rest of their fellow
countrymen, and would exert an infu-
ence, powerful out of all proportion
to their numerical strength, for the
social regeneration of society. Is it
too much to hope that the time is
approaching when such things may be
truly said of at least every member
of our Catholic Young Mems Socie-
| ties?
l will not pretend to believe that
praise so high has been earned in
the past by all of those whom you
their chosen delegates represent.
Such a pretence would be the merest
| fattery 1t is to be feared that the
faint of worldliness, the blight of a
misplaced contentment with mere
mediocrity, still infects too many of
our young men, even among those
whose names may be found on our
lists of membership. But we hope
for better things, and our Holy Father
Pope Plus x has given us a solid
ground for such hopes, by placing
within our reach means whereby
we may emancipate ourselves from
the frivolity of worldliness, and the
unacknowledged selfishness of sloth
and by exhorting us with urgent tier
alton to make the fullest use of this
means, which is the frequent recep
tion-nay, if possible the daily recep
tion-of the Holy Eucharist.
If Catholics, individually and as a
body, should be the leaven of the
world at large, the Holy Eucharist
as one of it's ancient and venerable
titles, "Fermentum," implies-is in
tended to be the leaven wherewith oul
own lives are to be leavened. But
in order that this divine gift may tt
it's use should be that which is pre-
scribed Gas a matter of counsel, MOI
of precept) by Christ Our Lord Him
self and by His Vicar on earth. AnC
our Holy Father the Pope has made
it abundantly clear that we fall shor
of an attainable ideal, that we deprive
ourselves of an invaluable boon, un
less we receive the Body Of Our Lore
as often as our opportunities allow us
to do so.
This is not, perhaps, a suitable oc
casion on which to repeat, to explain
to emphasize the cumulative and con
vincing arguments and consideration
in favor of daily and frequent Com
munion which have been so authori
tatively set forth in that Magma Cart;
of our Christian liberties and priv
eyes, the great Decree of December
1905, known by its initial words a
"Sacra Tridentina Synodus," though
it may not be out of place to sugges
that every member of Catholic Youn
Mems Societies would do well to pos
sess a copy of this Decree and t
make himself familiar with its ever
paragraph. But just now, taking TO