The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-10-02
IN THE ST. PAUL CATHEDRAL
Delivered by Rt. Rev. ]. B. Cotter,
Bishop of Winona.
THE VOICE OF JESUS CHRIST
Is Heard From the Mouth of the
Catholic Church.

The following is an abbreviated report
OF the sermon delivered by Bishop Cot
ter, OF Winona, ut the conservation Of
Bishop Trobec, of st. Cloud, in the ca
thedral at st. Paul on Tuesday, Sept. 21:
Under the old dispensation Moses
communicated with the deity. who ap.
peared in Il cloud of firc--In the new, the
humblest of the multitutcs who followed
the Savior were permitted to touch the
hem of His garment, to cry out to Him,
to cling to Him, to kiss His feet, to
anoint them with precious ointment,
to sup with Him. and to seek manifesto
tions OF His omniputcnt power for the
restoration of hearing, and sight. and
health. and even life. 'Nhc self same
Christ. the etornal Sun of God, abites in
the world today In virtue of his promise.
That divine. and, therefore. nviolabla
promise Is absolute guarantee to lis that
Ills voice Is heard now. and will ba
heard Tor all time; not as an eloquent
and inspiring echo rcsounding down tEa
ages, but the living voice Of the source
| of all truth. giving utterance from day
to day to the teachings that ask but
following to save men from the fierce
fury of passion and sin.
Through the days of the immortal 13,
In tempest and calm. In prison and
| palace, in the midst of the tuiling, suf.
fering millions. as in the select assem-.
| b]ics of the elegant and refined. in face
! OF peril by fire and sword and shipwrcck
| and death. that voice has spoken to the
cars and hearts of men. nor ceased, nor
varied in its eloquence and power of con.
| VictiOn, save to grow In mightincss Of
| power to vAnquiah In the face of increas.
ing obstacles and dangers. Its majes.
| tic tones have rcSOnndcd through tho
windings OF the Catacnmbs: they have
! thrilled the multitudes gathered for car
nivals Of blood In the Roman arenas;
bade enperors. whom the world honoreI
rs divinitics. halt in their march over
the hearts of nations; they have been
| lifted up to proclaim Him who uttered
| them the elder brother of men, and to
establish, upon the eternal foundations
of this brotherhood, the right of all men
to tho freedom OF Christ.
1t is this voice of the ages that cheers
on the forces of order against the forces
of lnwlcss socialism and anarchy, that
BATTLES for the poor against the heartless
expressions OF greed. 'I'is ever heard
i in the van OF the armies of noble souls
who are doing Gods work against sin
for the emancipation of man. II is tho
voice of Christ. No mans voice dare
boast it's mighty and sustained power.
History has written it down as the voice
of Peter Of Paul. of Constantine, OF
an Augustine, II Patrick. a Leo, as tho
voice OF loldly bishops. of mighty pom
tlffs. Brethren. It is the voice Of
Christ. speaking by the lips Of his
spouse. the church; speaking by tho
divinely guarded mouth of the apostolic
church of the Catacombs and Of the
Coliseum. Of the church of the prisons
and b1uodstaincd amphithcaters of the
old world.
The church that has defended Christ
| dEdlIiSL lHc luIlplS tlilIIOEluSS OF mon
after mob VINO would rcnd Him to pieces
in rcasonless effort 10 rob Him of the
| Eivinity they denied Him, speaks with
the same voice that made the heart Of
Filatt quail in the presence of Christ's
admission of His divinity. ARA through
every vicissitudc of time that church
has batlc the world hear it's gospel and
forbade it's needing other though that
ether were preached by an angel from
heaven.
The divine covenant by which our
blessed Lord bound himself to abide
with His church all days for the "en-
lightenment oc every man that cometh
into the wOrlu'' is a plbIic AMI open
document that challenges denial and in
that divine Instrument we read that He
lndt mon. Under penalty OF condemna.
ticn, believe that he wno hears the
church hear: Him.
But what strange and mighty power Is
il that fills the doubtful and faintheart:
ed with courage and hope; that operates
day by day, through the ministry of the
church, so nightly for good amongst
peoples civilized and uncivilized alike;
that lifts and strengthens the arms Of
the valiant for tile protection of the
weak; that arouse and fosters in the
hearts of men an abiding love Of righta
eousness, and that increases and multi-
plies saints in an iniquitous gcnerations
unless it be the power Of Christ evef
present in His church, the power Of one