The Archives of The University of Notre Dame 607 Hesburgh Library Notre Dame, IN 46556 574-631-6448 [email protected] Notre Dame Archives: Alumnus riiiii •III » inir'tiiiiii ir« THE NOTRE DAME ALUMNUS "^ =%it .-#"' \-., ••«» Club Communion ^ Breakfasts May 2 Ik Alumni Hall Tower APRIL, 1943 Vol. 21 No. 4 The Notre Dame Alumnus light on the mountain top, afraid of nothing and never "blacking out." Ali44fl4U llelUf40444. R44Ueti4t It's only when we're in the state of grace that we really live. And we ought iBY REV. JOHN P. LYNCH, C.S.C.: to fight, not just against dying, but to live more—and to win; and to win not just for our own puny selves but above ("Tile Alumni Religioxis Bulletin" is taking it, just holding on, and you never all for something outside, much bigger lieneeforth to be a regular feature of the win by just holding on. than ourselves—^for Some One. ALUMNUS, and in spirit, as well as in Rock had a lot of what is needed to­ name, it will be more than a little remi­ day in Catholics, when you come to think That theme is outlined in a story print­ niscent of the "Religious Bulletin" tliat of it. Remember once the game was go­ ed long ago in The Ave Maria, reprinted has been such a potent part of campus ing badly? Rock sent in a young player, in the Bulletin maybe while you were life for the past 20 years. Writer of reminding him, "I'm sending you in there here. Let's read it again and chew it the "Alumni Religious Bulletin": Rev. to fight." The kid eyed. Rock solemnly over. John P. Lynch, C.S.C., '25. Father Lynch with, "I'll fight in there till I die." Rock I AM THIBp finished in laia at Fordham and practiced roared back, "Cut out that dying stuff. law in Neiv York before he returned to An outstanding leader on a college We need an offense, not defense. Fight campus was admired by all for his ex­ Notre Dame in 1931 to enter the Congre­ to live—and win." gation. He was ordained in 1937. He was cellent good nature, spirit of happiness, of charity, and of fearless leadership. assistant prefect of religion and prefect WHAT IS THE SPIBn OF NOTBE DAME? of religion until 1942, when he was given One night a bunch gathered in his room a leave of absence for a year. Father Fundamentally, it is spiritual thou£^ to share his box from home. we see it more often influencing the body Lynch will be glad to ansicer any alum­ During the chatter and horse-play one on the gridiron. It must be fundamentally ni inquiries directed to him in care of asked him: "Why that framed motto on spiritual if it has anything to do with the ALUMNUS—Eds.) your desk there—'I am third?' Is it a Our Lady, and that spirituality shouldn't song or a story of a broken heart?" be anjrthing negative, colorless, lifeless, KEEP THE FAITH! fearful, defensive. "Fighting Irish" gives The host ignored the question but his That's as good a title as any for a few the lie to aU those weasel words. evasion and the guest's insistence cen­ thoughts on religion, but come to think tered everybody's attention on the motto. Yet doesn't the average Catholic re­ He had to explain.- of it, it's too negative. It signifies too gard the state of grace (the first step, much a defensive in spiritual life) quite like this: "The "Well, I'll tell you. That's something attitude, just state of grace is absence of sin," i.e., en­ that my mother gave to me just before holding on. We mity with God? I left for college. She is the finest woman Catholics have All right, suppose you are married to that God ever put on this earth. She told been on the de­ Sally. I don't know it, and casually ask me it was her motto and the cause of all fensive too long, you if you love Sally. You answer mere­ her happiness, and that I'd have happi­ just keeping the ly, "Well, I'm not an enemy of hers"; ness too if I kept it. That's all there is Faith (though or after the glorious 1942 Seahawk game, to it. — Now on with the eats. I've been that's a job, at I ask you, "How did N.D. come out?" talking while you robbers have been eat­ times) and keep­ and you answer, "Well, she didn't lose." ing and I've got to catch up." ing it out of sight too, failing to Have you given me 1/lOOOth of the real "You'll eat when you give us the whole picture of your true relations with Sally story. It's a good beginning, but what's bring, it into our Father Lynch the ending? What does the motto mean?" or of the game? Sure not; and "absence business, social and political life. He was one against ten and couldn't of sin" is just the absence of black com­ dodge. Too many millions of Catholics have pared to the blinding glory which is ours just "kept the Faith," on the defensive, when in the state of grace. We then par­ "All right, if you insist," he said after instead of leading the way as is their ticipate in the Divine Nature, are broth­ a pause. "It being my mother, her words right and duty on fundamental princi­ ers of Christ, Sons of God and members sunk in: 'Here's the secret of my happi­ ples. While we've been on the defensive, of the Mystical Body of Christ. These ness, son; you won't find any better in others have grabbed the ball and run— aren't just nice phrases, but very ex-. any college or in any place in the world, the wrong way. Hence, the mess today, plicitly explained, defended and backed than this—God is first; others are sec­ with no lunpire to guide, rule and pre­ up by the Rock of Peter. ond, and I am third.'" vent dirty play. Sure, the metaphor is That's our dignity, when in the state It takes years to see the wisdom of mixed, but so is the world—and almost of grace, and it's subject to increase by that, but you older alumni as you check everybody in it except the See of Peter every good act, every prayer, every Sac­ back can see its truth in your own life who sees.back almost 2000 years and also rament. All this, with its resultant dig­ and in others. Forgetting who comes first way ahead; so far and clearly ahead that nity, was bought by Christ at the price and second is the main cause of the cor­ he predicted and warned us about all this of His Blood, so that we wouldn't just ruption and misery, the greed, selfishness savagery, mess and confusion, 10, 20, 50, keep the Faith but share and spread it. and savagery in the present world, inter­ 100, 500 years ago. With His Blood He paid for us,—gladly, nationally, nationally and individually. willingly, lovingly, TOthout a lot of whin­ Just apply it in some personal lives you OFTENSE IS THE BEST DEFENSE ing and haggling. We're pretty expen­ know, in business, in some marriages. Didn't Rock always use that principle? sive creatures and we shouldn't go to Incidentally, when did you last bring There's a lot of fun on the offense too; rust. Christ didn't expect us to crawl home some flowers or candy for the wife? knocks and bruises, yes, but you can give through life with our "dimmers" or Why not shock her by some unexpected it too. On the defense, it's mostly just black-out lights on. He asked us to be the show of affection? The Notre Dame Alumnus This magazine is published bi-monthly by the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame. Indiana. Entered as second class matter October 1. 1939, at the Postoffice. Notre Dame. Indiana, under the act of August 24. 1912. Member of the American Alumni Council and of the National OithoUc'Alnmni Federation. Joznetf E. Armstrong* '25, Editor; Vt^lliam R. Docler* '26« Maaoging EcHlor VOL 21 APRIL, 1943 No. 4 Club Communion Breakfasts May 2 Peace and Honoring of Service Men to be Theme; New Plan to Supplant Uni­ versal Notre Dame Night for This Year. These are not normal times, as you The hundreds of Notre Dame men in men can be invited to alumni homes for know too well. Your alumni Board and service in camps and bases near to Local the week-end or for Sunday. the University administration have tried Clubs who might participate in the pro­ 5. Most of the students now on the to work out a plan for Universal Notre gram should be definitely considered. campus will be at home and can be in­ Dame Night in keeping with current con­ And the solution has shifted the tra­ vited to the Communion Breakfast. Larg^ ditions. ditional program for this year to the numbers of these boys will be leaving for Monday, May 3, the Monday after suggestion from your Association and service soon afterward. Easter Monday, would have been the the University that the universal obser­ traditional date. And Sunday, May 2, vance be, not a meeting on Monday night, 6.