The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-10-03


His own who were in the world, He
loved them to the end.
"And now, my little children, love
one another as have loved you, and
shall place that charity upon you
as My badge; as your uniform shall
I give it to you, for by this shall all
men know that you are My disciples,
if you have love for one another"
Raise your eyes, poor mortals, out of
this darkened, sin-stricken world,
where oceans of blood are flowing to-
day; raise your eyes from this miser-
able, changing panorama, and fix
them upon the figure of Christ, as it
rises about the great mountain chain
of America, the Cordillera, the Prince
of Peace, with His face to the north
and His hands stretched out to the
East and the West, and catch from
the Divine lips the words as they fall
upon the troubled ears of man:
"Exemplum enim dedi vobis, ut
sicut ego feel vobis, tia OF vos cafi-
ats" II have given you an example,
that as have done to you, so do you
also. My little children, love one
another, as have loved you"
And how did He love them? When
we study the life of Jesus Christ,
when we descend beneath the sur
face, when we place that Divine
Heart before our eyes, then there are
especially three characteristics of
that charity of Jesus Christ which
are manifest. In the first place, it
appears to us that the love of Christ
for mankind was supernatural love.
Further, as we turn over the pages
Of the Holy Gospel and analyze the
love of Christ, we behold that His
love for mankind was a practical
love; and then, as that beautiful life
draws to a close and we trace the
Redeemed footsteps of the Savior and
ascent to the summit of Mount CAL
vary, as that blood comes trickling
down upon us, we behold that the
love of Christ for mankind was a
self-sacrificing love. Three great
qualities of the love of Jesus Christ:
Our love for mankind, like His, must
be supernatural, must be practical,
n,,ct no colPcoor;f;oipr
Love, my dear Brethren, in the
worlds history has always existed.
One kind of love was that which man
shares with the animals, the love that
is based upon the senses, sensual
love, the love that in the great ma
jority of cases leads to perdition and
to hatred. Then there existed in the
world natural love, love based upon
qualities good in themselves, but en-
tirely natural-the love of parents
for their children, the children for
their parents, the love Of citizens for
their country, the love of friends for
friends. The love of friendship ex-
listed, and we find some beautiful ex-
amples of 1t in the history of states
and nations. But there was a love
that the world did not know, and
that was the love that rises above
flesh and blood, above the natural
qualities of the soul or of the body,
a oil h4 k~u a.
love that alone deserves the name of
Charity, which is based upon God,
which proceeds from motive that is
supernatural, which goes to an end
that is supernatural. Even Israel
hardly knew that love. Although the
life of Israel is supernatural life,
it is the life of the rosebud which
has not yet opened, of the flower in
germ. The love of Israel was ex-
elusive. No matter how kind the
children of Israel were to each other,
they were the chosen people. The
Gentiles, the great world beyond,
seemed to be outside of the pale. We
find the supernatural life of Israel,
as 1t were. only in its beginning.
But there came out of Israel One
Who was to give it it's perfection, and
He said to the world: "Novum man
datum de vozis"; II give you a new,
commandment" commandment
that the world has not appreciated,
that the world has not known; and
from that moment behold, the beau
tiful flower has been evolved, the
rose Of charity opened and sent it's
fragrance to the Throne of God
above.
Jesus Christ loyed us-why? Be-
cause He expected something from
us? Because we were naturally agree
able to Him? Because He found
qualities in us that drew His heart
toward us? Far from it! Jesus
Christ loved us, because He loved the
Father. The whole life of Christ
is full of the Father. "Behold 1
come. that may do Thy WILL" was
written of Him at the head of the
Book; and He finishes the last chap
ter with, Unto Thy hands 1 COM
mend My Spirit" Thus is the whole