South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-06-13

kill him. and cast him into some pit
and then il shall appear what his
dreams shall avail him" Your home.
your church. your college, have de-
veloped IN you great loves. great
loya,ties-your faith. your honesty.
your truthfuIness, your purity. your
fine sense OF honor. How long Will
they survive the clash with lower
ideals? Remember Christ does not
ask you 10 be narrow or bigoted to-
wards persons. that is a fault OF ig-
norance or weakness. Let your
minds and hearts be spacious enough
20 include all men whatever their
creed in sympathy and neighborly
love, but your neighbors do not OK
pect you 20 give up fundamental
principles or abandon the practice
20 all the old Catholic practices
frequent Communion the Mass. the
Friday abstinence-but be heroically
devoted TO them? VIII YOU be dis
tinguished in your community. in the
state. in the nation, for your clear
vision Of Catholic principles and
your loyal obedience to Catholic
precepts? WIN the world say Be
hold the Notre Dame stamp on this
superb Catholic man or Will the
world by Offering you brides Of mon
ey, brides Of position, brides Of hon
or. brides Of friendship. brides Of
human love, succeed in stealing away
these ideals out Of your life? as time
goes on. will these beautiful loves
deepen. will these noble beliefs
strengthen, viii these holy powers
and fine high purposes grow and
function and triumph in a glorious
and honored life, or viii they fade
into sickness and weaken in world
~ atsmophere? You have lived close
20 Christ, have been members OF His
household. Shall Ch-<st again be
sold in you for so pieces OF silver 3?
This is the second test Of you and
Of your school.
A third test is courage. The great
Cardinal MERCER Of Belgium, speak
ing o. his teachers at college, said,
They taught me 10 obey. 10 LABOR
and to dare. The obedience he
learned at college fitted him 10 eX-
ercise authority and he became the
great dinai-Archbishop of Hal
ignes The labor 70 which he disci-
pinned himself In college made aim
a great scholar, the most mastery
exponent OF scholastic philosophy in
his day. 1na daring they developed
in him at g llege made him the
greatest mora, figure or the worll
war. Unarmed. defenseIcss. his only
coat Of armor his priestly cassock,
ne stood at the gates OF uber-y AID
with no weapon except hsi eloquent
voice. and no army exert his cOuI =
agvoUs heart he withstood the most
gigantic military power Of modern
times. one Grave priest alone awoke
the conscience of he world, aud
saved his ration from destruction.
Do you LcHeve Cardinal Merci cr's
courage came 20 hin suddenly in
the moment Of emergency and no.
rather that il vas the result of a ifc-
long habit of courage. No man be
came a hero suddenly. No man can
live habitually in tho Ghadow Of
fear and compromise and rise in
Stantly 20 the heights OF intrepidity
il, tbs hour of danger. There is in
deed the spirit Of recklesseness born,
sometimes OF Ignorance. sometimes
of despair. sometimes OF brutal dis
regard Of life, but courage is spir-
itual quality. II has its roots in con-
science. II is a willingness to face
danger or near death; a high and
holy resolution, if necessary TO pay
a great price for great good.
Called TO Leadership.
The world is perishing today for
lack OF courag eous and generous
men. Too often the effect OF col
lege education is 10 make men over
cautious, over prudent. over con-
scious of the difficulties OF the work
and the possibilities OF failure; over
fearful OF the penalties and conse-
quences IL they should fail. The
ideal college man is the exact oppo-
site Of all this. Empowered by ed
ucation, with strength and skill TO
exercise his faculties. 20 use MS
knowledge, TO discover truth for
himself and uncover truth for 9TH
ers, he is naturally called 10 intel
lectual leadership in the world. Too
often, through lack or courage. he
squanders his power and abdicates
his leadership. Equipped by religion
and culture and philosophy, with
high ideals Of personal duty and
public service. too often he turns
coward and loses the opportunity 10
do great things. Softened ana re-
Taxed by comfort as time goes on he
forgets the divine enthusiasm OF his
youth and sinks into the common
place. Your old men shall dream
dreams, says the prophet and your
young men shall see visions. Col
lege is the home OF beautiful dreams.
1t is the place Of heavenly visions.
1t is the magic land from whence is
sue the prophets. and apostles, and
poets and reformers OF the world.
Youth Is naturally ideaistic until
vice obscures its vision and gross
ness dissipates its dreams. Living
IN a world OF noble ideas the plans
and purposes Of college youth are
gilded with the hope of romantic
adventure Why then do so many
Of them lead undisunguished and
commonplace lives? The world is
full OF commonplace men because
the college graduate at the very
threshold OF the world is met with
another group Of maXims--the phil
osophy of comfort and caution. the
low voice of conduct and Of achieve
D1ent that are called worldly Wisdim .
the selfish formulas Of material sue
cess. the horrid sophistication.
Whcih is a peryers.on Of true wis
dom and the apostacy from all high