George Matulaitis Journal

for some institution than to find people to staff it. Our greatest concern, therefore, should be to train as many men as possible for the most important tasks and needs of the Church. Let us spare nothing for the training and education of our members. The funds, the energy, and the effort that we invest in this task will pay great dividends later. In the formation of our lay brothers, our concern should be not only to educate them properly, not only to teach them a trade, but, especially, to instruct them in Christian doctrine, to help them develop their spiritual life, and, besides all this, to enkindle in them an ardent apostolic spirit. Then they will be able to go out and renew the faith in the hearts of everyone they meet and associate with. Burning with the fire of zeal, lay brothers could be very effective in combating vice and immorality. They could go out in pairs or teams to rescue those that are sunk in the mire of vice and degradation, working just like the Salvation Army, a noteworthy Protestant organization. In our case, however, our work would have to proceed along Catholic lines and with the consent of the bishops. Going out in pairs or teams, our lay brothers could also visit the sick and the poor—the workers are often in such dire need, for they live in hovels and slums, where no one comes to help or encourage them in their hard lot. May God give us many such brothers. They could bring Christ even into those places priests cannot reach. If, with God’s help, we could train these brothers, they could not only distribute alms, but also instruct the poor, give them some good books or read to them, invite them to come to church, and so on. Such brothers, working under the direction and supervision of our priests, would be a tremendous help in the apostolate. January 20 To go out and look for people to join us and, having found them, to educate, instruct, and prepare them to undertake the work most urgently needed in the Church—this should be our vital concern. O God, give us some good men. Gather us together from every land, country, and nation and make us one so that we may glorify Your Holy Name and serve You faithfully; so that we may fight the good fight and spread Your Spirit everywhere, bringing it into every place. Just because we have made our novitiate and completed our 129