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14 THE CENTENARY CELEBRATION.
Is she not, rather, a barrier to the best ambitions and the progressive
march of humanity? A reply is urgent. It can be given, for the
Church is divine and belongs to allages. But the more speedily and
the more effectively we give it, the better for Church and souls.
A study of the modern world brings us to say that its leading
feature is a resolute assertion of the powers and rights of nature, as
distinguished from the revealed or supernatural order. The Chris-
tian religion displaced in the life of mankind 1,900 years ago
the reign of corrupt nature, known as paganism. For long ages
the supernatural was supreme, permeating minds and _ hearts,
reaching out its influence upon social institutions and govern-
ments, upon arts and industries, the natural order acting in fullest
harmony with its laws and spirit. At the opening of the six-
teenth century signs of new times appeared on the horizon. The
Renaissance, tunconsc-
iously perhaps, sowed in
nature the seeds of re-
bellion. ‘The inevitable
reaction from the teach-
ings of the reformers as
to the total depravity of
fallen nature quickened
its spirit of self-assertion.
Then came the wondrous
feats and discoveries of
the past hundred years,
and nature was embold-
ened, and it proclaimed
its self-sufficiency and its
independence. The
watchwords of the age
are reason, education,
liberty, the material im-
provement of the masses.
Nor are these watch-
words empty sounds.
They srepresent solid
realities, for which the
age deserves praise.
Rebellious nature lays
claim to words and to
realities, as if they were
its exclusive belonging,
obtained not only by its
unaided self, but in spite
ofthesupernatural. War
is declared against the
Church and all revealed
religion, in the name of
progress and of all for-
ward movements; and
combatants ranged under
banners upon which se-
ductive words are in-
scribed, easily gather to
themselves popular ap-
plause. The war is be-
tween the natural and
the supernatural. The
intent is toexcludeChrist
and His Church from the
“a! bb
enmentememensiemei
ES UNTER eee
are we to reach out in efforts to converting our fellow-citizens, nor ~
are they disposed to hearken to words of ours. -As to the burning
questions agitating the world, the prospect of a solution that will
satisfy the age is remote. The sky above us is cloud-laden, and no
glimmer of light pierces through it. The days. of failing faith are
upon us... The refuge of each one is to flee for his own safety to the
mountains, and await in silence and prayer the return of God’s
vivifying breath upon the nations.
Brethren, hold not this language of fear and distrust. Let
Catholics say why the triumphs of other days are not possible in
our times and country. The Church is to-day, as when she over-
threw pagan Rome, and won over to grace ferocious Northmen, the’
Church of divine truth and divine power. Her mission is to-day, as
then, to teach all nations, to preach the Gospel to every creature,
and Christ is with her,
even unto the consum-
mation of ages. God’s
arm is not. shortened.
What can be wanting?
Our own resolute will to
put to profit God’s graces -
and God’s opportunities.
“For thy soul fight for
justice; even unto death
strive for justice, and
God will overthrow thy
enemies.”’
Why should we fear
or hesitate? We num-
ber~10,000,000—a _pow-
erful army in the arena
of truth and justice, if
the forces are well mar-
shalled, and their latent
strength brought into
action. Catholics in Am-
erica are loyal tothe faith;
brave in confessing it,
self-sacrificing in its in-
terests, devoted to their
chieftains. They have’
waxed strong amid
storms, and have none.
of the hot-house debility
of character which not
seldom marks Catholics
living in countries where
faith feeds on ambient
air. Their labors and
their victories in the first
century of their Church
organization—a century
of poverty, struggling,
and spiritual destitution,
—show what may be
done with them, in the
century of adult stature,
conscious power, and
completeness of hier-
archial organizations.
site > The non-Catholic
living world; to relegate
them amid ruins and
sepulchres, as they once
relegated paganism. I need not tell the duty of Christians. It
is to maintain in the world the supremacy of the supernatural}
and save the age to the Church.
The burden of the strife falls to the lot of Catholics in America,
The movements of the modern world have their highest tension in
the United States. The natural order is here seen at its best,
and here displays its fullest strength. Here, too, the Church
unhampered by dictate of government or by despotic custom, can,
with the freedom of the Son of Isai, choose ‘its arms, and making
straight for the opening foe, bring the contest to a speedier close.
I am aware there are those among us who do not partake of my
hopefulness. What can be done, they say, in America? Catholics
are a handful—ten millions in sixty-five—the few among the many,
struggling amid temptations and prejudices. The preservation of
the little flock in the faith is a herculean task. Most illy prepared
ST. PATRICK’S CATHEDRAL, NEW YORK.
Americans deserve, by
their splendid natural
. virtues, that we labor
hard to give them the plentitude of Christ’s faith, and neither
in disposition nor in act do they place obstacles in our pathway.
They are clever, intelligent, ready to listen, anxious to know
what is the truth, They are fast losing the old traditional prej-
udices against the Church. If some are still retained, the fault
is ours. Hither we have not proved with sufficient clearness our
faith by our works, or we have not presented to their minds
truth with due urgency, and in the manner to captivate their atten-
tion. Their alienation from the Church is an inherited misfortune, .
not their own doing. They have deep religious instincts; vital
Christian principles are rooted in their modes of thought and social
practices. America is at heart a Christian country. As a religious
system Protestantism is in hopeless dissolution, utterly valueless as
a doctrinal or moral power, and no longer to be considered a foe
with which we must count. The American people are generous,
kone den