The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-10-14
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ties to do good, one who had been con-
cerned in making many converts.
What kind of Catholics do we need
today9 We need that kind. We need
energetic men and women, seeking
new means of doing good without
despising the old ones; quietly at
peace with God interiorly, strenuously
at work for their neighbor exteriorly;
easily joined to others in organized
works of zeal, yet as quickly ventur-
ing all alone upon approved activities.
Such one says to himself: Think
of all the sin around me! the ignor-
ance, the misfortune; can | sit down
comfortably and never offer to help
it? To him the profession of piety is
a mockery, unless his soul rises SUI
perior to self, especially in matters of
race and family and class. Those
words, mine and thine Ito quote st.
Francis de Sales), have little signifi-
canoe to a true Christian in any order
of existence; but in religious matters
they are positively hateful to him.
When he goes to confession, his joy
| is Swallowed by the thought of the
multitudes absent from this holy
shrine of pardon and peace. The joy
of his communions is tinged with self
reproach, because he has not sufficient
| ly needed the injunction of the Master
of the banquet: Go out quickly into
the streets and lanes of the city, and
bring in hither the poor, and the blind,
and the lame /. go out into the
highways and hedges, and compel
themito come in luke xiv, 21-2S).
Spiritual writer's tell us that the
heart of man is great enough to con-
tain the infinite God. If my heart
| contains only handful of Gods crea-
lures; merely my own family and a
| little circle of friends, surely it is not
a Catholic heart.
There is no Sleepy Hollow in the
| Vineyard of the Lord" a jealous priest
once exclaimed to his people. Yet
| some Catholics think the vineyard of
! the Church is a quiet out-of-the-way
nook for peaceful repose. Such souls
are often shaken out of their religious
torpor by the onset of passionate
| temptation, and are carried away into
the captivity of the evil one. There
are many Catholics who make their
faith sort of hammock under shady
tree in midsummer, in which they
swing comfortably, viewing cOmplac.
emily the way-worn travellers along the
hot and dusty road of error
Little do these laggard Christians
dream that every spiritual good is first
their own to enjoy and then the prop.
erty of others, to be impaired to them
freely and generously. Freely (that
is to say, gratuitously) have you re-
ceived, freely give" Matt. X, 81, was
the Masters charge to all His dis
ciples. The heritage you enjoy SO
selfishly is the common property of all
men, primarily of those Within reach
7 Of your voice, your pen, your example
I No can can claim to be a brother OF
Jesus Christ to the exclusion of the
rest of the divine brotherhood, which
includes every human soul. The Cath
OllC WHO HUGS Tic u uIIl up "
self alone, is not worthy of it.
We read with surprise in Newman
autobiography, that when he was or
! dained an Anglican minister he had
a distinct intention to devote his life
to missions among the heathen-that
powerful intellect, that leader OF men!
He was at that time young scholar
at the University of Oxford, a fellow
! of famous college, already brilliant
writer, resistless persuader OF men
If this be laudable, this longing OF
Newman's heart to save the outcast
members of the human race, this zeal
/ in the soul of one of the greatest men
i of his age, it is also suggestive OF his
final vocation We sincerely believe
that to reward him for that self-deny
ing love of mankind God gave him the
true faith, and made him, personally
and by his writings, the foremost mis-
sionary to nom Catholics since the days
of st. Francis DE Sales. He longed to
! bury himself for Christ's sake among
the lowest races of men, that he might
save them. God placed him upon the
highest plane of Christian civilization,
that he might lead the way for the
conversion of the imperial races who
speak the English tongue. F.. :.
In order to save oneself it is neces-
sary to be concerned with the saliva
ton of others. Hast thou saved a
soul?'' exclaims ST. Augustine; then
thou hast predestinated thy own soul. "
There is scarcely a grown-up Cath.
Ollie in America of whom it may not
! be truly said: If he be worthy of a
happy death he will secure that un-
speakable favor for others. OF course,
this is primarily true of all parents
and teachers, masters and mistresses,
brothers and sisters, as well as of
many others who have close and loving
friends. But it is also true Of the
whole multitude of the faithful,
though in remoter degree. For who
that lives among unbelievers but may
often command their attention to a
strong word of Catholic doctrine?