George Matulaitis Journal

46 longings be directed toward that one goal: to bring Christ everywhere, to restore all things in His Spirit, to glorify the name of the Catholic Church in every place. In order to achieve this, we should make use of any lawful and worthy means available to us: the cassock of the priest or the habit of the reli- gious or, if need be, the clothes of the layman; we can use every trade, profession, every field of learning or labor—and even our own blood— everything that is good and created by God can be used, if need be, for the greater glory of God and for the good of the Church. “… For you belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God” (1 Cor 3:23). Each and every field of work can thus be useful, but especially the priestly ministry which is concerned with educating and organizing people—this field has enormous possibilities—keeping in mind and selecting that which will result in the greater glory of God and best meet the needs of the Church. What is to be our mark of distinction, then? Our self-denial and our wholehearted dedication to God and to His Church; our inner, spiritual life and, on the other hand, our work with and among people, gathering about us people of good will; also a fearless zeal that knows no vacillation or faintheartedness, ready for anything (willing to risk anything) that might be needed for the greater glory of God, for the good of the Church, for the salvation of souls; a spirit of initiative, disciplined and ordered within the bonds of perfect obedience. Each one of us ought to try to become skilled in some field for the benefit of the rest of the Community. But here too there must be order and discipline so that each individual would not go off on his own, but that all pull together. We should live together in the closest unity, joined by the bonds of brotherly love, ready to give our lives for each other—one for all and all for one. One of the most pressing needs of our times is, it seems to me, to involve larger groups of people from every segment of society in a more active apostolate for the faith and the growth and defense of the Church. Just as at the present time good Catholics are involved in charitable institutions, they could also become active for the propagation of the faith and in making the Church better known and loved. Lay men and women could do so much good here, once they have been instructed and educated in matters of faith and better informed about the needs of the Church; fired with holy zeal, they could then be organized