raculous gifts so dear to
Father Hecker, was thus explained to him:

"But the gifts which justify and endear us to God are not alone
common: 'graces gratuitously granted,' such as knowledge, prophecy,
the gifts of tongues and of miracles, and others of the same sort,
are common also, and are granted even to the wicked; not, however,
for their own, but for the general good; for the building up of the
Church of God."

That the doctrine is the foundation of a real though not a legal
community of material goods, was evident to our young social reformer
from the following:

"In fine, every true Christian possesses nothing which he should not
consider common to all others with himself, and should therefore be
prepared promptly to relieve an indigent fellow-creature; for he that
is blessed with worldly goods, and sees his brother in want, and will
not assist him, is at once convicted of not having the love of God
within him."

Besides giving him a letter to Bishop McCloskey, Bishop Fitzpatrick
also furnished the young catechumen with one to the president of Holy
Cross College, an institution which had been established at
Worcester, Mass., in 1843 by Bishop Fenwick, and presented by him to
the Society of Jesus, of which he had been a member. The following
letter was written by Isaac to his family after he had arrived there;
his stay was not long:

"Worcester, Mass., June, '44--Respecting the purpose which leads me
to New York I have scarcely a word to say. Quietly, without
excitement, I come with an immovable determination to be joined to
the Roman Catholic Church. There is a conviction which lies deeper
than all thought or speech, which moves me with an irresistible
influence to take this step, which arguments cannot reach, nor any
visible power make to falter. Words are powerless against it and
inexpressive of it; to attempt to explain, or give to the intellectual
mind the reasons why and wherefore, would be as impossible as to
paint the heavens or to utter the eternal Word, the centre of all
existence. It would be like asking, 'Wherefore is that which is?' the
finite questioning the infinite; an impossibility. . . .

"No man by his own wisdom can find out God; and it is only by the
grace of Heaven that we come to, and by the heart perceive, the true
Church of Jesus Christ. Grace teaches us to feel and know that which
before was unfelt, unknown, invisible. Perfect submission to His love
breaks open all seals, unlocks