Page:Withgodbookofpra00las.djvu/573

 Men united  in  the  Name  of  God  found  the  Master  in  their midst. Their union  must  have  been  dear  to  His  Divine Heart; and  with  infinite  affection  must  He  have  blessed the laborers  and  their  work. or vain  would  have  been  the efforts of  His  priests,  however  heroic;  vain,  as  St.  Paul said, would  have  been  our  preaching. While passing  these thoughts over  in  our  minds  let  us  not  forget  to  ask  ourselves whether  the  priests  of  the  next  two  or  three  generations will  have,  in  so  far  as  it  depends  on  us. as good  material to work  with  as  we  have  had  through  the  efforts  of  the saintly priests  who  have  gone  to  their  eternal  reward. Let us also  incessantly  invoke  God's  benediction  on  the  work, without which  the  blessing  of  development  and  permanence of the  Holy  Name  Society  in  America  will  not  be  granted.

This leads  me  to  a  subject  dear  to  my  heart,  and  that  is the  organization  of  our  boys  and  young  men  into  Holy Nam.e Societies. We are  living  in  a  day  of  organization. !Men in  all  walks  of  life  are  reaching  out  to  bring  everything under organization. Our young  men  see  this  and  desire it, and  if  they  can  not  have  organization  within  the  Church, they will  seek  it  outside. Let not  our  boys  and  young  men get away  from  us. Let the  hand  of  religion  ever  hold  them gently but  firmly. If we  show  interest  in  our  boys  and young men. as we  can  in  a  hundred  ways:  if  by  solidly practical instruction,  suited  to  the  temperament  of  their years, we  prove  to  them  that  religion  is  the  best  thing  in the  world  and  that  without  religion  they  can  not  be  men  in the  truest  and  best  sense;  if  our  priests  will  only  study their boys  and  young  men  and. according to  circumstances, locality, and  conditions  of  parishes,  devise  methods  of  interesting them  in  religion,  success  will  attend  their  efforts. Thus will  our  successors  in  the  royal  line  of  the  priesthood of Jesus  Christ  have  material  to  work  with  in  organizing and keeping  the  men  of  America  devout  Catholics.

The Holy  Name  Society  owes  Its  origin  to  the  Second Council of  Lyons  in  1274. when it  was  enjoined  that  the faithful should  "demonstrate  more  reverence  for  that  Name