Page 275 - 聖母軍團員手冊（英文版，2014年5月-2022年1月更新版）

Legion HANDBOOK D10944_1 26/02/2014 15:53 Page 270

270 THE PATRICIANS CHAPTER 38
people whose language he does not completely understand
and whose mentality is different from his own. The
interpreting power of the Patricians bridges these deep chasms.

8. Giving God something to work on. In this matter there
is more at stake than the bringing together of a number of
bricks and the moulding of them into a structure. There is the
principle of grace which, surpassing nature, enables us to
construct an edifice far larger than that for which we had the
materials.
We must realise that in the department of revealed religion
nobody has the full answers. For faith and grace have always
to enter in. Even the wisest arguments may not avail to bridge
the gap, but it would be wrong to infer that less wise
utterances are thereby useless. The fact is that God takes even
the weakest contribution into his hands and does something
with it. When all have done their best, the gap that seemed
unbridgeable may have been covered. Whether it is that the
gap was less than it was thought to be, or that the human
contribution was bigger than it seemed to be, or that God just
filled in what was lacking — one cannot tell. But the whole
work has been done.
The foregoing must always be our philosophy — and on a
wider scale than for the Patricians. All must make their
contribution even though they know it to be inadequate. A
feeble effort is better than none. The converting of the world
is the question of bringing Catholic effort to bear. There will
be insufficient effort so long as Catholics are whispering to
themselves: “I do not know enough and therefore I had better
lie low”. But this latter is the prevailing situation in which the
Patricians seeks to play a helpful part.

THE PATRICIAN PRAYER
(To be recited by all in unison, standing)
In the name of the Father etc.
Beloved Lord,
bless the Society of the Patricians
into which we have entered
for the purpose of drawing closer to you