The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1955-04-01
Just Among Ourselves
Passing Comment Considered or Ineonsidsrsts

not brought "a better understanding" TO those who
persist in having no understanding at all Maybe
il is better so. For the proponents of "a better
understanding" usually people who would like
TO submerge all issues Of religion, and have man.
kind settle into quiet secularism, with God in His
heaven and all ION the surfaee) right with the world.
We need not be greatly disturbed by the wild,
but fundamentally silly, attacks of the Oxnams,
the Elanshards the Kallens, and their sort We re.
member with unfading vividness that our Redemp-
ton was accomplished at moment when the whole
world was vid with hatred and the sun itself
grew dark with the clouding enormity of human
sin The supreme triumph of Gods love for man.
kind was won in the hour of mans most bitter
hatred of Christ. We know that Divine Providence
still lovingly prevails.
As for the better understanding" of the Church
by worldly people, and by Sectarians generally, it
may be said at once that who Is not In
the family of the Church can ever have real un-
derstanding OF what the Church is. Who shall know
the reality and the Joy Of home life but the chill
dren of the household? To understand the Church
is to embrace the religion which the Church teaches
Is il possible to understand truth from afar? Can one
recognize truth and yet hold aloof from it?
"They have prosecuted me, said Our Lord TO
His followers, and they will persecute YOU" This Is
the thing we are to expect. LAS then, he That is
oil the lleSn pefSPCule0 II Va splllts
il is now" Persecution, and not understanding, al
ways marks the attitude Of the world, and OF sects,
towards the Catholic Church and devout Catholic peo-
pie The Church cannot fall if we remain faithful and
devout we shall not fail either. And our very hard
ships will be the occasion of the conversion of many.
Not that we should be silent under calumny Our
good lives are to be the rebuttal of evil charges
against us And our voices not to be sted
if words, in given situation, will avail. Our LORD
sometimes spoke, as when He asked His enemies
for which of His good works they were determined
10 nut Him To death. AT other times, Christ was
silent He made no defence offered no argument
at all in the courts of Annas and Calphas
Words are often of little when minds are
blind with bigotry. Remember the occasion on
which Our Lord astounded the multitude by curing
an afflicted dumb man, casting out devil, and re-
storing the mans power of speech They were actual
ly people who saw this miracle, and yet turned
savagely upon Christ with the demand that lie
give them "a sgl from heaven" TO prove His claim
TO be the Christ the Messias Is there, in human ex.
perience clearer proof that there are none so
blind as those who will not see When stupendous
sign given sanity does moi Immediately ask Tor
sign Saving reverence this sort of stupidity recalls
the old wheeze, "officer, call copl'
What use can be served by mere words when
words will not be taken in their plain meanlngF
What value is to be found in proving a point
conclusivey, and then having the auditor ask Tor
proof? Words cannot penetrate with message oil
meaning into mind that is closed to that precise
meaning The Catholic apolopst often finds himself
in just such position, speaking to those who are
set and determined to refuse all testimony of the
truth God has given us to hold and to defend
our chief work of defense, ard Of propagating
the truth lies in lives and our prayers. ST. Paul
tells us to put to silence the Ignorance OF foolish
men showing them "by the good works they shall
behold in us" the truth Of our religion so that they
may "glorify God" thai is, SO that they may be
won TO the truth themselves.
Yet there are many who have the ability and the
opportunity of speaking, and of writing, in explain
alton of the truth, these have also duty
TO speak and to write. Despite ears that are dear
with bigotry, and eyes that refuse light aid mean
ing there .lways some who Will hear and see
In the great crowd that saw the miracle of Christ
when he exercised the evil spirit and gave speech
to the dumb man, there were many who took profit
from what they saw; they not all btgotS who
seeing a sign, asked for a sign And the words
that He spoke after performing the miracle stirred
the minds and hearts of many, and brought the cry
of Blessed from one woman of the crowd. The
hicots learned nothing; works and words failed
TO convince them; but the words and works con-
vinced others when he had cast out the devil,
and the dumb spoke. the multitudes were in ad-
miration at it,"
Therefore, the apologst is TO be patient and
perseverng in his work. The endless answer to
endless charges must still be made. The truth
told thousand times must still be told, The evt
denee so often adduced, must be adduced again,
and yet again. Energy must he given to the task
Of speaking Of nstructing, Of clearing up error
Of manifestinr truth Never must ono succumb TO
difficulty: never must the apologist cry Whats
the uSe9"
II is God in all things words and works, that Civ
eth the vctory-which is the Faith II we are, first
and foremost worthy in our lives and ardent IN
prayer and virtue; il we are in the second place,
earnest to speak and write according to ability and
OCCASION in explanation and defence of our relig
ion, then may be assured that great good will
come through us even If we be not permitted to
sec or TO measure the good II is God who worketh
in us both 10 will and 10 accomplish.
With our steady effort TO live the truth and
10 manifest ii in every way we can, is TO 60 peace
of mind As said at the outset, are not to be
disturbed by the bigotry that end~res in many
people, and by the great waves of malignancy which
SANDER and malice send against the saving
truth Patience and peace are great gifts of God
and they are magnificent virtues to be used in
furthering the kingdom of God on earth. These two