The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1918-12-07
SACRED HEART INTENTION FOR
nFCFMREP

Our Holy Father asks us to pray during the
month of December for the spread of the Apostle
ship OF Prayer. The purpose of this con-fraternity
is to promote the glory of God and the salvation of
souls by prayer and good works offered in union
with Christ our Lord and with the sentiments of
His Divine Heart 1t is popularity called the League
OF the Sacred Heart. 1t means life of union with
God, modelled after the Divine Pattern of Christ
Our Model.
When the sanity Plus X issued his first pastoral
letter he startled the Christian world. He pointed
out in unmistakable words the awful cataclysm to
which the world was fast going. He warned the
nations With the fire of Baptist he urged them
to return to Christ He told them that their general
apostasy from God would bring a visitation of Di-
vine wrath. Comfortable in it's own conceit and
satisfied in its own pride of power, the world
the Vatican HILL The Holy Father told them he
mad only one single purpose as the great shepherd
OF the flock of God. He wanted to save them. He
did not propose to them any political scheme
He begged them if they would save themselves to
help him in his single purpose-to restore all things
in Christ.
We know how the world answered his appeal and
we know what followed Scarcely had the words of
the Holy Father ceased to ring in the ears of men
than the whole world was plunged into an ocean of
nate and death. For over four years all the power
and wealth of the civilized world was consecrated to
slaughter The fairest lands in Europe became great
SHAMELESS Millions of lives were sacrificed to the
inhuman greed of war. 1t is impossible to count
value measure the destruction of arts choicest
creations Christian civilization in four years lost
what it took two thousand years to win. The pride
of nations ignored God and they were swallowed up
in deluge of blood and destruction.
We are about to take up the work of reconstruc-
ton. The nations are planning for the future After
the mad orgy they counting the cost. 1t may
be that they have learned their lesson If the future
of mankind is to be safe we must build on new
foundation. unless the Lord build the city, in
vain do they labor who build it." The new order
must be Christian. There can be but one corner
stone for the edce of the true Christian civilization
Christ. We do not despise those natural safe
guards that our leaders are planning They are
necessary, but they not sufficient. The inten-
ton for the month of December gives us the basic
principle on which to build. We must get back to
God. The only way is through the Sacred Heart
of Jesus.
If men and nations will get the spirit of the Apos-
tleship of Prayer we may look to the future with
confidence If the spirit of Christ is not present at
the conference of nations then their plans will build
house of cards. While the rulers of the world are
sitting around the peace table let us pray that the
spirit of the Apostleship of Prayer may fill their
hears and minds. Pray that the Apostleship may
spread among all the peoples of the earth. Only
when men and nations alike are animated by the
spirit of Christ's Sacred Heart can we hope for a
peace progress that will be just and permanent