The Education of Catholic Girls | Page 4

to know
is therefore a primary qualification. Inseparably bound up with it is the
thinking right thoughts concerning what is to be taught.
1. To have right thoughts of God. It would seem to be too obvious to

need statement, yet experience shows that this fundamental necessity is
not always secure, far from it. It is not often put into words, but traces
may be found only too easily of foundations of religion laid in thoughts
of God that are unworthy of our faith. Whence can they have come?
Doubtless in great measure from the subtle spirit of Jansenism which
spread so widely in its day and is so hard to outlive--from remains of
the still darker spirit of Calvinism which hangs about convert teachers
of a rigid school--from vehement and fervid spiritual writers,
addressing themselves to the needs of other times--perhaps most of all
from the old lie which was from the beginning, the deep mistrust of
God which is the greatest triumph of His enemy. God is set forth as if
He were encompassed with human limitations--the fiery imagery of the
Old Testament pressed into the service of modern and western minds,
until He is made to seem pitiless, revengeful, exacting, lying in wait to
catch His creatures in fault, and awaiting them at death with terrible
surprises.
But this is not what the Church and the Gospels have to say about Him
to the children of the kingdom. If we could put into words our highest
ideals of all that is most lovely and lovable, beautiful, tender, gracious,
liberal, strong, constant, patient, unwearying, add what we can,
multiply it a million times, tire out our imagination beyond it, and then
say that it is nothing to what He is, that it is the weakest expression of
His goodness and beauty, we shall give a poor idea of God indeed, but
at least, as far as it goes, it will be true, and it will lead to trustfulness
and friendship, to a right attitude of mind, as child to father, and
creature to Creator. We speak as we believe, there is an accent of
sincerity that carries conviction if we speak of God as we believe, and
if we believe truly, we shall speak of Him largely, trustfully, and
happily, whether in the dogmas of our faith, or as we find His traces
and glorious attributes in the world around us, as we consider the lilies
of the field and the birds of the air, or as we track with reverent and
unprecipitate following the line of His providential government in the
history of the world.
The need of right thoughts of God is also deeply felt on the side of our
relations to Him, and that especially in our democratic times when

sovereignty is losing its meaning. There are free and easy ideas of God,
as if man might criticize and question and call Him to account, and
have his say on the doings of the Creator. It is not explanation or
apology that answer these, but a right thought of God makes them
impossible, and this right thought can only be given if we have it
ourselves. The Fatherhood of God and the Sovereignty of God are
foundations of belief which complete one another, and bear up all the
superstructure of a child's understanding of Christian life.
2. Eight ideas of ourselves and of our destiny. It is a pity that evil
instead of good is made a prominent feature of religious teaching. To
be haunted by the thought of evil and the dread of losing our soul, as if
it were a danger threatening us at every step, is not the most inspiring
ideal of life; quiet, steady, unimaginative fear and watchfulness is
harder to teach, but gives a stronger defence against sin than an ever
present terror; while all that belongs to hope awakens a far more
effective response to good. Some realization of our high destiny as
heirs of heaven is the strongest hold that the average character can have
to give steadiness in prosperity and courage in adversity. Chosen souls
will rise higher than this, but if the average can reach so far as this they
will do well.
3. Eight ideas of sin and evil. It is possible on the one hand to give such
imperfect ideas of right and wrong that all is measured by the mere
selfish standard of personal security. The frightened question about
some childish wrong-doing--"is it a mortal sin?" often indicates that
fear of punishment is the only aspect under which sin appears to the
mind; while a satisfied tone in saying "it is only a venial sin" looks like
a desire to see what liberties may be taken with God without involving
too serious consequences to self.