The Irish standard., 1915-06-26

and no mistake, but perhaps by the
time It 10 over and people begin to
count the cost, they may doubt
whether It 10 the true and legitimate
condition Of the human race.
When death has passed over Europe
and claimed it's victims by millions;
when the flower of the male popula.
tion in the prime of life has fallen,
and sorrow and desolation are in their
homes; when the MANNED and disabled
form a large proportion of the sur
vivors; when the resources of the diff
ferent countries are exhausted, then in
the misery and ruin and desolation,
people will see that men have some
higher purpose in existence than their
mutual destruction by brute force, and
may learn, by Gods grace, the truth,
and the working efficacy for the high
est purposes of life, of the Gospel of
Him, who died on a Cross for His
brethren, and left us as His Command
ment to love one another.
The world is getting a terrible OBJ
ject lesson; Darwinism and material.
ism are allowed to work out some Of
their own consequences, before our
eyes, and It may be that this disas.
trous was is necessary, so that, in the
disappointment and disillusion which
will probably come on all sides, before
it is over, men may find themselves
confronted with God, and in a mood
to listen to His voice. His moral law
will survive all violence; the Ten
Commandments will be valid; love
will be seen to be better than hate,
and our highest human good to be not
in strife, but in mutual help and co.
operation.
Il is quite possible that God, In His
mercy, may make this war the begin
ming Of new epoch Of religion.
Just as tempests which, setting free
the lightning and other forces of ma
ture, terrify us by their wild fury,
are followed by a period of calm, God
may use this wild outburst of human
passion, to clear the atmosphere and
bring us back to the peace of His
holy religion.
Already we can see the profound
change that has come over the minds
Of the people Of Europe.
The greatness of the calamity that
is upon us, has, as If by its solemnity,
sObered and chastened mems thought
and words, and there is over all of
them something akin to the feeling of
awe and reverence with, which we
enter into the presence of the dead.
The heart of the world is moved, and
the higher instincts of humanity are
beginning to assert themselves.
There is something very hopeful in
the spontaneous movement by which
the peoples of all the beIligerent ma
tions have turned to God In prayer In
this great crisis. 1t is the confession
Of God, of His Power, and of human
weakness and dependence on Him,
and responsibility to His law. After
all, that is the fundamental truth,
which underlies religion and, If men
grasp it we'll, and feel its significance,
it may, by His grace, carry them far
on their way to Him.
Each side prays to Him for success,
asks Him to bless it's arms, in the be-
lief that it's cause is just. God, we
may be sure, will hear their prayers,
and shape the issue for the greater
good, and in ways, that our narrow
good, and in ways, that our narrow
vision cannot see, will work out His
own Divine purposes.
In itself this movement 10 the re-
nuneiation Of materialism, and the
confession that men are something
more than animals, and have a higher
destiny than anything on this earth.
BY Gods mercy it may carry them
far on the way Of true religion.
Already we have read with great in
terest and satisfaction the pronounce
ment of some distinguished English
Protestants that a general council of
the Church should be summoned by
our Holy Father the Pope to find some
means of ending this abominable war.
With the feelings that underlay that
announcement we Catholics must be
fully in sympathy. 1t comes from a
genuine desire to save the world from
this brutal slaughter, and, although
we know that, according to Catholic
principles, the realization of the
scheme OF these good men, in the form
in which they suggest it, Is impossible,
yet we must be touched by the SINGER
ity of their feeling, and recognize the
element of truth which inspires it.
They feel the want Of some moral
authority In the world; Of some one,
raised above the rivalries Of nations
who could speak on behalf Of God
and His holy religion, and, before men
sought the settlement of their differ
ences by the shocking arbitrament of
war, could appeal to their higher ma
ture by the considerations of truth
and justice and charity. 1t is a true
yearning of sincere hearts for q living
center of religion. Essentially it is a
Catholic ideal: one Church. one fold,
and one shepherd. And we cannot
h~N g.