The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-11-28
CATHOLIC EDUCATION

responsibility, how to be trustworthy,
how to be reverential.
Not infreQuently people outside the
Church try to persuade themselves
that the right formation of character
can be sufficiently effected by the
principles of natural ethics. These
are their substitutes for religion.
Such principles are useful as far as
they go, but they do not go far enough.
They may accomplish great deal for
responsibility and for appearances,
but they do not strengthen human ma
ture sufficiently to resist evil in try
ing circumstances. The sense Of
honor, the sentiment of self-respect,
the feeling of regard for the rights of
others, a natural sense of justice, the
beautiful in conduct, the attractive
ness of virtue, the responsiveness of
vice-all such considerations have
some power to restrain, some influence
on human conduct, but before the
raging torrent of passion and self
interest they are but weak barriers
as frail as reeds before the mighty
Niagara.
What can I say that will be worthy
of the De La Sale Institute and of
the Christian Brothers? History fur
nishes me with an apt illustration of
my thought At the tomb of Sir
Christopher Wren in London there is
a slab bearing this inscriptions: "Si
monumentum requiris circumspice."
If you seek his monument look around
you. II is q beautiful idea. No higher
praise could have been bestowed upon
that great architect than the silent
tribute from the works of his genius,
from the gorgeous edifice which he
had designed and which lowered
heavenward around his last resting
place.
We're it my task to recount the
triumphs of the Christian Brothers 1
would say to my hearers: If you seek
the monuments of their zeal and
ability look around you in this hall
tonight; look around you in the COM
mercial and professional life of the
Twin Cities: look around you in the
broader circle of this State and the
United States and consider their
graduates, their alumni, their splendid
specimens of physical, intellectual,
moral, religious manhood--every one
of whom strives for the ideal in Chris
tian conduct. We have right to
expect it, Other things ,helng equal
we have a right to look Tor better re-
suits from our educational institutions
than from any others. The reason
for our claim is not difficult to find.
The Brothers and Sisters and clergy
in charge of our schools and acad
emies and colleges and universities
are actuated not only by the natural
motives which are incentives to labor
with every human being, but they are
also inspired by higher reasons. They
are animated by the supernatural mo-
tive of consecrating themselves to the
training of youth as lifelong profes-
sion out of love for God. All their
best energies are spent on their
pupils. All their highest ambitions
are centered in the classroom. In the
morning of life they severed all the
fondest ties that bind human nature
in order that all the love of their pure
hearts might be in their noble calling
With them teaching is not used as a
stepping stone to another state in
life, but it is their chosen profession,
their cherished life work. The alumni
of their schools are intelligent gentle
men worthy of the Church to which it
is their privilege to belong.