The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1914-03-28
GIVES REASONS FOR LENT.

the churches of the Archdiocese of
St. Louis would go to the Indian and
Negro Missions, Archbishop Glennon
at the new Cathedral Chapel express
ed doubt as to the Governments pol
icy in dealing with the negro and In
dian.
ut is doubtful" he said, whether
purely secular education helps them.
They need training of their hands
along industrial lines, and their hearts
along religious and moral lines.
Then the training of the intellect
follows in the normal order. The Gov
eminent spends great deal of your
money for the education and the ply
steal care of the Indian and the negro.
It is our duty to tax ourselves to give
them that which we believe is most
necessary, moral training
The Archbishop declared it a mat
ter of congratulation that the Lenten
season and the Lenten spirit are more
and more observed not only by Catho-
lies, but by other denominations. He
expressed the view that the observ-
ance of Lent should not be made Sec
tartan.
In classifying those who do not keep
either the spirit or the letter of Lent,
he paid particular emphasis to 1.-The
floaters, or those who have to keep
going"
GIVE have to do something to pass
the time, they say" he continued.
$50 if we don't go to the theater, why
we have to play cards or dance. 1t is
pathetic to say you have to be doing
something cheap and foolish continual
ly. Such an idea of life is that of a
picnic.
Even when the Lenten storm of
fasts and rigors comes, they have to
continue with the dance. They say,
We'll, the picnic type is the only type
of life we have INDUCED in, and we
have to keep ON to the end"
To such classes, the Archbishop
urged deeds of mercy among the less
fortunate. He declared there is no
need for them to be trained sociolo-
gists to do little deeds of kindness.
His Grace also referred to the ma
terialists, or those, he said, with lit
tie veneer of philosophy, who declare
that fasting lowers the vitality and
impedes the development of human
life, which consists mainly of loves
and hates and appetites.
The Archbishop said, in part:
"The Lenten season, with its fasts,
it's notifications and its prayers, is
looked upon variously by the world.
Some oppose and reject it, because
they think it an invention of church
that is anxious to dominate soul and
body, demanding tribute, not alone
of the money, but the health, and even
the spirit of it's followers.
"Others oppose the Lenten rigors
and Lenten spirit because they claim
it opposes and Expresses their human
nature, and they do not propose to re-
sign their human well-being to the
rather far-off joys and hopes that rise
from the fast and abstinence and the
humiliations of the Lenten time.
Others, again, recognizing the
value of the service, claim exemption
because they lack the strength, physi-
cal or mental, to persevere.
r,et us admit that the Lenten sea
son in regard to it's duration-in re-
gard to the particular laws OF its o.
servance-in regard to the changing
d;snensations for the various times
and various peoples, are all OF eccie'
siastical institution; but its spirit, It's
nurnose and it's fitness is the plan OF
the worlds redemption as given us py
our blessed Lord.
eff to be a Christian is to be fol-
lower of Christ, then it becomes a
Christian duty to follow him when he
went out to the desert, when he tasted
and prayed, and continued the fast
and the prayer for forty days as re-
corded in the gospel.
"Not alone, is the record OF our
blessed saviors fasting, and joining
prayer with his fast, but very often
elsewhere, through the New Tesla
ment, this duty is insisted on. To-
DAVIS gospel and epistle both refer to
it. In the acts of the apostles we arc
told that the apostles spent their time
ministering to the Lord and fasting,
and then again to fast and pray is
everywhere taught as characterizing
Christian living.
1T is to be noted, however, that
while fasting and prayer are both In
culcated by both the Old and New
Testament, the New Testament is
careful to remind US that fasting Of
itself means little; that II we fast, we
are not to act as hypocrites, or seek
vainglorious praise; but rather in Sc
cret to fulfill the wish and teaching
of our Lord, emerging therefrom more
spiritual, more joyous, more Christ
like.