The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1920-09-18
RELIGIOUS ORDERS IN MODERN
SOCIETY,".

bic Church have been looked upon with
an evil eye by many governments,
says Rev. A. MuntSch in Central Blu
religious life as practiced by these
communities is not suited to the ideals
of our time. The orders are out of
date" say some, and they ought to
cease to exist"
But there must be something about
these venerable institutions which
short-sighted critics fail to see. They
must respond to some need of the
heart or they would not expand and
flourish in these days of little faith.
For thousands of young men and wom-
en-, often of the highest stations of
life, renounCe worldly prospects in Or
der to accept this kind of life. They
do this freely, and according to their
own confession, they find their hap
piness in leading the religious life"
looking upon the grace Of persever-
ance to the end, as the greatest bleS-
sing that God may give them. The
sacrifices the life requires are con-
sidered as trifing compared with the
excellent opportunities it offers for the
service of God and man, and the eter-
nal recompense in Gods Kingdom.
This argument is almost of itself
sufficient to prove that religious or
ders meet a real want in modern
society. For an institution that no
longer responds to the vital needs of
community disappears of it's own
accord. 1t does not require an attack
from without to lay it low. But now,
since the tree of religious life, the
and the target for such repeated cal
umnies, not only lives, but blossoms
with ever renewed strength and vigor,
1t is evident that it draws it's vitality
from source which human folly op-
poses in vain.
Need of Ideals in Modern Society.
Despite all the comforts and ad-
vantages with which modern civili-
cation has enriched men, there is a
void it cannot fill This is mans need
of an ideal. Many there are who are
disguised with the low aims and pur-
suits of a great number of our people
They realize that such pursuits lower
mans dignity. And so they say that
they will aim at something higher and
better than their feIlow-citizens. They
devote themselves to art or literature
or social service and herein they try
to find some ideal worthy Of imitation
Now does not the religious life hold
out the highest ideals for the men of
our day? To love God with ones
whole soul, to serve the brethren I'M
Selfishly for His sake. and to possess
Him for ever after this brief span of
years, this is the ideal Of the religious
life, and does it not give hope and in
spiration to the best of our race?
One of the requisites for social
peace and happiness is the observance
of the moral order on the part of the
majority of men. This means that a
more genuine and lasting happiness
is found in communities where virtue
is esteemed and where men success
fully strive to beat down the clamor-
ings of lower nature. Unfortunately
there are so many who find it difficult
to observe this moral order, on &C
count of their own weakness, but
especially on account of the many
obstacles placed in their way by a
sinful, evil-minded world. Now the
religious life give the best opportuni
ty to observe the law of virtue in al
things. For it is based on the lob
servance of the counsels" And mer
have no higher standard of moral eX
CellenCe than those 'counsels of evan
gelical perfection" For they enable
a person to serve God in the best man
ner, being freed not only from slavery
to sinful pursuits but even from at
tachment of those which are legitimate
money, worldly honors, society, etc
1t is this life which holds out the
promise of the greatest joy that car
be mans portion on earth-the peace
of a good conscience which the treas
ures of the world cannot buy.
One of the fundamental virtues Of
the religious life is a strong incentive
to the growth and the spirit of democ
racy and liberation that character
ICES our time For the members OF
the religious orders, especially those
devoted to the active life, that is, {
life of service to suffering man, looF
uDon all persons, irrespective of creed
color, or social station, as children
of the same God and Father They
practise heroic charity towards the
most lonely and wretched of these
children of God, realizing that by serv
ing them they serve God, their Fathe1
in Heaven.
Now it is only such charity, bor1
of lively faith in the truths of Rev
citation, that can inspire the heroisn
and constancy which we see in a st
Vincent de Paul, Francis Xavier, {
Peter Claver, or a Father Damien
The motives of selfsacrifcing action
supplied by Positivism or .Materialisn
fade into insignificance in presenc,
of these sublime and generous princi
pies born of the sweet principles o
Christ"
The members of religious orders al
ways look forward to the reward eZ
ceeding great which God has promis
ed to those who persevere in His com
maOdnautS Modern life with If