El Nuevo mexicano., 1921-02-17

bralIng, III heartfelt appreciation Of.
those snfntad Catholic heroes who fell
victims to the ihsensate fury 81 savage
tribes, ossr $50 years ago, Of men,
whose memories are a rich legacy Of
our country which was the theatre Of
their apostolic activities, but for all
mankind. For humanity ever stands
in need Of examples Of n~oblenesa, ten
derness. and heroism to keep alive Its
natural dignity, and hold It on the
right side OF the line that separates
the beasts that perish from the souls
that cannot die.
These men to ~perpetuate whose
memories this cross has been reared,
under the inspiration OF 4 Christian
ideal, babe adlen to home and country,
to friend and relation, to all that was
dear to them IN this life. and IN far
foreign land, bravely bore the lone
illness OF exile, the privations Of power
lty, and finally the agony OF violent
death, in order to open up to the bruti-
fled mind Of the sensual savage the
knowledge Of bis supernal destiny, and
give TO his nntutored souls aspirations
a higher direction ana 2 nopler aim,
Ito make him realize the fact, that
Christianity, and Christianity alone.
Is the only agency that can sanctify
childhood, inspire youth, ennobie man
hood, and I'LL the declining years Of
decrepit old age with the prospect OF
a future felicity that ID destined not 70
fade.
Pilgrims Of history. as we are today,
we see, in those men pioneers Of civil
l~ization worthy our admiration and
gratitude; but we also behold them
tr~ansflgured and spiritualized and do
minated by one absorbing purpose:
the spread Of the glad evangel Of
Christianity, and the recognition Of the
sovereignty Of Christ in the world He
conquered by His blood.
This one idea was the m~ain-sprlng
Of their lives: the power behind their
every purpose, the working principle
Of their every activity
Addressing III assembly as INTEL
gent as this, It were Auperfluoub to
dilate at any length on the life-work Of
these hernic men. You have lovingly
fingered on every phase Of their varied
careers. you have witnessed In reallef'
ic drama, and picturesque pageant
within the past few days how insepa.
rately connected with the beginnings Of
I civilization Ia this section OF our coun.
TRY the apostolic activities Of these
FFlars have been. You know how
hard and steep and brlaf-beskewn
their life path was. how fierce and re-
lentless their savage foes. how pitlless
the persecution to which they were
subjected at the hands OF their own
counirymen; and yet withal, how va
liantly they fought, panoplied IN the
p~atiente OF the apostle, and animated
with the zeal Of the saint. Leonidas
at the gap Of ThermopyIae, HoratiuA
at the bridge that SPAWNED this Tiber.
never fought as they fought. for theirs
was a spiritual combat. nebutted. and
reviIed, Knocked and mallgned, they
never faltered, never quailed. never
grew faint, and, when done to death
by dem0niac design, they etood with
martyrs palm before the Great White
Throne Of God. He found their
honor white, their soula untarnished,
and their indomitabIe spirit unconauer-
ed still.
It was their answering fidelity to q
supernatural ideal that differentiated
them from the merely mundane Pic.
neer Of civilization, and rendered int.
Eligible their lives OF heroic sell-aacri.
flee and ~deaistlees d~evotednesa. The
persistent promptIngn Of the faith that
was IN them furnished that zeal for
the extension OF the Kingdom Of God
which was their outstanding character
istic. Theirs was the e~Vor.present pur.
pose to light the lamp Of faith in the
soul OF the savage, ~cmancipate him
from the fhralldom OF satanic supere.
tltution, shake of the gackle8 OF ais
sensual servltude and make him free
with the freedom OF the children Of
God. Theirs the task 20 teach him the
dignity of bis nature, the glory Of his
destiny, BY making him realize that
there was something more beyond the
grave than the gloom OF aunlhilaton
and the horrors Of decay.
The evangelical seal oi these men Is
a mystery to the modern world. Steep
ed to the lips, as II "A, fl materialism
Il cannot see IN II another manifesto
tion Of Gods dealings with the world
He has made. for, my friends 70 the
thoughtful aud unbiased student OF
history. there la ample evidence that
God has had His varied media OF.
communication with His crtaiufes m
every period Of the worlds history
since He walked with Adam h the.
giadea Of Eden 5000 years ego. His
VIII was made manifest to His crea.
lures IN the atill, small voice Of their
conscience, approving right and con-
demning wrong, for $500 years before
he promulgated L m written law