Modern Girls' Challenge (1950s)

[Music] the most lasting satisfaction we can have is influencing the lives of others showing people the way to a rich full life makes our own lives worthwhile and brings the greatest happiness the big challenge is how can we reach the most people and how can we exert the most far-reaching influence on them happy wholesome well-rounded family life is the aim of the state and the church for Time and Eternity good homes are a necessity this happy family's Thanksgiving dinner is an occasion of real gratitude with all their other blessings the grandparents thank God for their sons wife and children and for the Serene peace and contentment that reign in his home the foundation of this peace and happiness the grandparents and the parents know is True Religion the knowledge love and the service of God they know that True Religion must be implanted early and cultivated zealously that is why the grandparents and the parents thank God for the sisters who taught them in Catholic schools they are determined that these children will have the same blessing like all women the sisters love children but for the love of God they give up their own for the most important part of rearing hundreds and hundreds of children teaching children the knowledge and the love of God in the critical early years makes their lives rich and happy on Thanksgiving Day the sisters are grateful to God that the sacrifice of Their Own own families is making thousands of happy homes in no home is there more thankfulness today than in the sisters condent these young men in prison are from homes just the opposite of what we have seen nuns have not had any influence on them or their parents to a large extent their lives are wasted for state and church unfortunately there are Catholics here but hardly any of them have had anything like a full Catholic Education FBI statistics show the same thing Catholic Education at the hands of of sisters and lives of crime simply do not go together these children are receiving the greatest blessing possible a truly Catholic Education it will mean more to them than wealth or social position they're getting an early start on the road to real success for Time and Eternity the sister knows she shares in this success of the many she teaches each year that's why her life is so satisfying in the long run the successful life must be based on religion the most fundamental the most important subject we study from their earliest years these fortunate children learn it under ideal circumstances their faith is deepened and broaden to last a lifetime teaching arithmetic geography and all the other subjects is a noble career but the sister has an advantage over other teachers while she's doing a good job of teaching reading and writing she continues to teach religion indirectly all day they that instruct many unto Justice the Prophet Daniel says shall shine as stars for all eternity because the people are so scattered in small rural parishes the Priceless opportunity of Catholic schools is impossible for thousands of children in their charity and great love for Christ the sisters sacrific their well-earned rest and Leisure to go out to the small towns and into the country to teach the great truths of religion to these children who would otherwise be neglected where distances are not too great The Sisters travel on Saturdays to the country parishes to prepare the little ones for first communion and to give them a regular systematic grounding in their faith this adds to an already busy work week but the Zeal of the sister goes on even further so important do they regard the command of Christ to go forth and teach All Nations that they give up a good part of their vacation to conduct religious summer schools in rural parishes all over the country in this way they are safeguarding the future of the faith or gener generations to come the thousands of Orphan children so dear to the heart of Christ are the sister's special concern they provide homes for these little ones they clothe feed and teach them even more important the sisters give them that love and that security without which they could not develop normally each sister in an off AG is a mother to hundreds who otherwise would never know this Loving Care the missionary work a sister does in a hospital is too great to be calculated her kindness flowing from the love of Christ impresses the sick far more than books or sermons very often sees the first contact with the church for thousands of non-catholics no greater force for breaking down Prejudice exists than the cheerful kind sister working in a hospital this powerful influence for good she multiplies still further by inspiring the nurses with her own ideals by word and example she teaches them that care for the patient's bodies is Noble but that care for their souls is even more wonderful if a mother's work is never done it is just as true of a sister mid-afternoon comes and school is over for the children but not for their teacher her preparations for the next days classes are just beginning teaching is not just an 8 hour a day job for a sister but her life then there is still work to do sisters always look so neat and clean but hours of Labor go into that careful appearance that we expect of Christ's Representatives but it isn't just drudgery even ordinary household chores cleaning cooking washing dishes all are made to count for God an intense appreciation of the worthwhileness of their whole life and every action in it make happiness and song Natural in what for most are just humdrum duties what is the real secret of a sister's life that life so many find it impossible to understand just one one thing explains it the source of her strength and joy is her life of prayer this life of prayer is the reason why a none can be happier and more contented amid privations than those who have all the things of this world that are supposed to bring happiness the life of a sister is a life of Faith daily systematic prayer keeps the faith burning bright and the light of that Faith constantly reminds her how important for all eternity is her every thought and action that is why she finds her life so worthwhile and satisfying in meditating on the great sacrifice of Christ she grasps the meaning of her own sacrifices United with Christ sufferings her privations are not only made bearable but become sources of Joy human nature though is wavering in times of weariness depression can be almost overwhelming thoughts like the following bring encouragement and New Hope the life of a priest like a nuns is a life of Faith only an intense faith will lead a boy to consider the priesthood only that same kind of faith can make him persevere until the goal of holy orders is reached a faith of that kind comes alive and is nourished during the years that a boy is taught by the sisters helped by their prayers he builds the faith that makes the priesthood possible in his daily religion lessons from them for the majority of Priestly vocations the sisters can claim a large part of the credit and without priests there would be no Church of Christ the variety of Duties a priest has to perform is obvious whether he is coaching a football team managing a parish's finances or instructing converts at all times he is shepherding Christ plock in all of these works the sister shares when he's called to administer the sacraments in a way the sister goes along as Christ's merits flow into countless Souls while the priest gives baptism Holy Communion the other sacraments and finally extreme unction her Eternal reward for making possible this Ministry is constantly increasing her Joy is complete when she sees one of her priests offering Mass the most important action on this Earth the ideals of many good Physicians began to take form in their Tender Years under the guidance of the sisters self-sacrifice and the desire to help others were exemplified daily Before Their Eyes hundreds of others in many walks of life whose careers are devoted to the service of mankind receive their first Inspirations from watching the dedicated lives of their teachers the nuns in all of their works the sisters have a share the tremendous cause of Christ has many fields of Labor what career can equal that of leading thousands to Christ and his church through the life of a none these sisters and the many other congregations they represent invite you to take up the challenge and join them in the cause of Christ for [Music] eternity