The Irish standard., 1914-06-20

IE 20, 1914.
NzxZ~Z<NlNN0OOOO~
Catholic Graduates {
y Superintendent, New York City. )
served as the means Of giving you
the ability to enter into the appreci-
alton and understanding Of the great
field of life. the field not Of one kind
Of endeavor. but in a general way of
all kinds. A brief review Of your
studies will reveal this to you.
The study Of language has brought
before you the feelings and aspira-
tions Of the human family. Of those
who have employed a tongue to
which you have not been born. This
study. whether in the form of poetry
or prose. Of essay, narrative. or de-
scription. whether as grammar,
rhetoric. or logic. must have had an
influence in broadening your sympa-
thies. in increasing your appreciation
Of your own language and your own
people. and in extending your admir-
alton for what your fellewman has
felt, thought, suffered and done. You
have been acquiring the technique
Of appreciation and communication.
Your studies in history ought to
have supplemented and en-
riched your language studies. They
ought to have stimulated your long
ing for truth and Justice. They
ought to have increased your love for
the land whose benign protection you
enjoy. They ought to have nour-
ished your consideration for your
fellowman. and finally. they ought to
have brought you closer to due rev.
erence for the mysterious operations
of Divine Providence. In studying
history you have been acquiring the
technique Of sympathy. gratitude and
devotion.
Your mathematical and other sci
entifcal studies ought to have
strengthened your power of Observe
ton, your ability to reason. your
habit Of concentration.-in a word.
you have been acquiring the tech
nique of that power which is the
spark Of Divine Intelligence. and
which constitutes the foundation for
that higher study. which has been
called the science Of sciences. What
is this science of sciences? It Is the
study which Catholic education
places at the summit of her system OF
instruction in human knowledge. and
to which she has appropriated the
designation with which the modest
seekers after truth in pagan times
were wont to dignity their studies.
philosophy. Your introduction to
this science has placed before you the
method of thinking and given you
the touchstone Of the processes OF
thought. Your further progress has
lad to the consideration Of those gen.
eral notions which naturally succeed
to the study Of material things.
These notions are the ones rejected
nv the positive or materialistic phil
osopher. who dismisses their discus
sion with the dictum that not only Is
Il futile to accept conclusions that
are not demonstrate. but that If any
reality beyond sensible phenomena
exists it's laws cannot be known. The
stndv of these general notions leads
naturally to those other general no
lions of the essence of the world
) around us. and of the bodies that are
on or about it; to the consideration
of the inner world. the mind of man;
and finally to the knowledge OF Co..
80 far as it may be attained through
the human reason. These studies
constitute everything, the universe,
the mind of man-that little cos
mos-and the Supreme Being. The
application of all this study is made
in ethics, the science Of human con-
duct. Here is study which should
be its own justification. the appltca-
ton of knowledge to the ordinary
life of man.
But the Church is not satisfied
with any scheme of mere instruction.
She must have it vivified at every
point by the influence she dispenses
as the guardian Of Revelation. The
technique Of appreciation must not
be limited to things mundane. nor
must that of communication exclude
the Divine. Reason must be exer-
cised within its own sphere. and SCI
ence and philosophy must ever -recog-
nize that there are two principles to
which all things may be reduced
spirit and matter. each separate and
distinct, though each is not without
it's influence on the other. Further
more. the Church is eminently prac-
teal. and is not content that her
children shall have merely theoreti-
40, knowledpe of her influence. She