at a moment's warning, and at the risk of contagion? It springs from the chaste soul, where burns uninterruptedly that fire which Christ came on earth to kindle, the fire of divine love.

It would be useless, at this day, to attempt to show that a priesthood, unconsecrated by the vow of chastity, would be no priesthood at all; that soon it would degenerate into the common and ordinary life, not respected, and unable to demand respect.

But not only do we speak of the priesthood when we speak of this virtue, but we must speak of the thousand and ten thousand virgins, of both sexes, devoted to God and the good of their fellow-men,

"Who angel-wise have chosen

And kept, like Paul, a virgin course, content
To go where Jesus went."*

As the Brothers of St. John of God, Christian Brothers, Sisters of Charity, of Mercy, &c., who never would or could be so without this holy vow; for this exempts them from the yoke

* Lyra Apos.

and burdens of matrimony. They have no spouse to please but God, no children to take care of but humanity;-oh! is this not a noble destiny, to give one's virgin strength to heaven and to gentle deeds of love! Let one of our great modern reformers have as much devotion for his world-happiness schemes, as a simple Sister of Charity, and we should then have some fear of his success.

Oh, is not this a great religion which inspires the timid maiden with the boldness to pretend to have God alone for her spouse, and all humanity for her sympathies! Such is the nobility of the soul when inspired by Catholic faith, and true to her vocation she says: "No love will serve that is not eternal, and as large as the universe." Here is woman's dignity, and as a modern thinker has said, ried woman can represent the female world, for she belongs to her husband. The idea of woman must be represented by a Virgin."

"No mar

Deprived, as many are, of the graces and the spiritual strength imparted through the channels of the sacraments, we are not surprised that they cannot understand how one can practise

such heroic virtue; nor can we, for the same reason, blame them that they are likewise unable to conceive the possibility of rejecting the basis and limits of common life, and gaining a permanent and divine basis of action. But this has been done. How can they refuse to believe in the fact that the greatest saints have professed such a life; a Vincent de Paul, a De Sales, a Francis, a Bernard, a Gregory, an Augustine, an Ambrose, a Jerome; and that the precursor of our Lord, his blessed Mother, and He himself, have practised this virtue, and what is more, have encouraged others to do so too, this is what surprises us! Yes, it is in the bosom of the Catholic Church alone, that the bright dreams of youth, of love, of purity, and of Christian holiness of life, can find their realization. It is from thee, O holy Church we

"Learn virgin innocence, learn mercy mild, Unlearn ambition, unlearn carefulness.

O life, where state of angels is fulfilled,

And saints, who little have, and need still less;

A state which nothing hath, yet all things doth possess ! " *

* Baptistry.

XXVII.

Mortification.

"The women of old Rome were satisfied

With water for their beverage. Daniel fed
On pulse, and wisdom gain'd. The primal age
Was beautiful as gold, and hunger then

Made acorns tasteful; thirst, each rivulet

Run nectar. Honey and locusts were the food,

Whereof the Baptist in the wilderness

Fed, and that eminence of glory reach'd,

That greatness, which the Evangelist records."

DANTE.

WH

HAT says the Catholic Church to selfdenial and mortification?

In this, as in all other things, she is a perfect copy of Him who was the example of a perfect life. All her children must do penance, abstain, and fast Every year she imitates the

forty days' fast of our Lord in the desert, by the season of Lent. Every Friday is a day of abstinence in remembrance of the sufferings of Christ for us, on that day. At each of the four seasons of the year, she has three days of fast to draw down God's blessing upon nature, and avert the curse brought on it by self-indulgence; in one word, the daily life of a Catholic is, if rightly considered, one of abstinence and selfdenial; for Jesus Christ said, not to religious alone, but to all: "If any man will follow me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.' This is the common life of a faithful Catholic; and now what shall we say of those who, by a special grace, practise mortification in an heroic degree in her schools of virtue and discipline-the monasteries and convents? Shall we attempt to defend this demand of the heart for ascetic life? But this is not our purpose here. We are bound only to show that the Catholic Church meets this want. Look only on Jesus Christ; and if we are not willing to suffer with him, we have no heart, or no room for him in it.

* Mark viii.