Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1921-07-23
Rev. Joseph J. Boyle Makes Tell
ing Plea For Laymen's
Retreats.
Absolute Need Of Religious Prip-
ciples Being Carried Into
Everyday Life.
Must Rebound to the Best later
ests Of Every True
American.
DEEPENING OF SPIRITUAL LIFE.

This century has witnessed MANY
new and unusual Developments. vet
few more marked and decisive than
the part played by laymen in things
Catholic, writes the Rev. Joseph 7
Boyle, G. S. c., of Notre Dame. II,
the Indiana Catholic Works long
reserved to clerics and religions
nave passed into the hands of the
ATTY And because of that very
fact we find In the ranks of our
Catholic men everywhere a desire
Tor the deepening of the spiritual
life. Mere knowledge of Christian
doctrines as obtained through the
parochial school is not enough ~
give this spiritual deepening." The
Catholic college and the Catholic
university are being more and more
sought after. Courses in social sci
ence and Christian apologetics are
demanded to provide the workers in
the ranks with what might be called
the philosophy OF the plain man.
or late new and most delicious
expression of the same strong desire
Tor more abundant life" and its
spiritual deepening is evidenced in
the Lay Retreat movement which
the knights of Columbus have been
among the first to espouse, and
which in turn is destined In the
Providence of God to rebound to the
honor of the order.
The clear eyed layman of today
who looks to the future no less than
to the present sees the absolute
lneed of religious principles being
carried into the minute details of
every day life, if the social order in
Its present mode is to remain.
II The statesman is conscious of
this need when he says that It is
most difficult for a man to- play the
game of politics successfully and
still remain honest. The merchant
emphasizes this same spiritual need
when he says. my competitors are
resorting to these dishonest prac-
tees and must do likewise If I am
to remain in business" The Judge
upon the bench is but emphasizing
this need when he points to the
wholesale disregard for things that
men have ever held most sacred
their word, their oath, their honor.
It is upon these that the foundations
of society are builded.
The prevalence of crime. the
shameful infdelity OF the marriage
tie, the shocking indecency in dance
and dresS-these and many other
evils are traceable to the fact that
people have forgotten God, or at
least have divorced Him from their
ordinary daily actions.
Now the Lay Retreat movement is
a direct antithesis of all this. 1t is
the Catholic Church's answer to the
irreligion and the pagan tendencies
of our day, as manifested in bust
ness, in politics, in unrighteous
standards of living. It's slogan is
Deepening of the Spiritual Life"
Its object is first of all the saliva
ton of the individual soul for
whom Christ Jesus died, and sec
ondly the building up of a body of
strong militant Catholics who will
be proud of their faith and who will
glory in working for its advance
ment.
1t is ever thus that God acts.
When labor was despised and the
abyss between rich and poor threat
ened to disrupt society God called
into being the Religious Order of st.
Francis, whose duty it was to show
the dignity of labor by their own
lives, by their words, and by point
ing out the example of Christ in de-
Tense of it.
When the Albigensian heresy
threatened Christianity and false
doctrines were proclaimed on every
side God raised up the Religious
Order of st. Dominic, whose duty
it was to purge the world of heresy
by preaching everywhere the pure
doctrine of Christ.
When the French revolution re-
vealed to the world the incompar-
able danger of false education, God
called into being the great religious
orders dedicated as they are to the
solid principles of Catholic educa-
ton.
And now in our own day when
religious fervor is at such low
ebb among so many classes of our
people, when the foundations OF
civil justice are threatened by the
loss Of Christ as an ideal as
divine teacher and model of men,
the Lay Retreat movement under
the inspiration OF Heaven is raised
up by God to restore Christ to his
place in the home. the commercial
and the political world.
In appealing to the Catholic lay
men to make a retreat we are plead
ing for a cause that must rebound
10 the best interests OF every true
American who loves to see his coun-
Try grow in strength with the years.
We are pleading for course that
will make the faith of the Catholic
ayman living, breathing, life-
giving thing, guiding him in his
doubts and difficulties, inspiring him
n his disbursement, consollng him
n his sorrows. and filing him with
he proud consciousness OF knowing
hat he Is promoting the honor and
glory of God and guaranteeing the
'alvation of HIS own sou1