The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1897-12-16
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES
LECTURE ON SACRIFICE BY
BISHOP MONTGOMERY
The Cathedral Packed to the Doors.
The Place Of Sacrifice in Religion.
Interesting Discourse

st. Vibiana's cathedral was filled to
the doors last evening when Bishop
George Montgomery lectured on "Sacri-
fee and its Place In Religion" Preced-
ing the lecture Mrs. j. J. Schallert and
Mrs. James Burdette sang duet. and
Mr.. McQuillan played a flute solo. A. J..
stamm presided at the organ.
After stating that the object Of the
Catholic Faith society is to explain
Catholic doctrine In a plain and uncon-
troversial manner and to distribute
Catholic literature on subjects interest
ing to all, the bishop paid a high COM
pliment to the intellectual activities
Of the age and that desire on the part
Of all true men to know the truth, the
whole truth and nothing but the truth,
on all subjects.
He then announced his subject as
above. His thesis was that, taking the
doctrine held by almost all Christians,
God created man for superna-
tural life, and in a state Of grace and
innocence, fitting him to enjoy that life,
from which he fell by sin,. Religion Is
necessary to restore that state TO him.
and in his fallen state sacrifice Is d nec-
assary element Of that religion.
In the very first stages Of his exist
ence man was endowed with free will
and intelligence which did not make him
Independent Of God, but made him re-
sponsfble to God for hfs acts. The su-
pernatural destiny was with condition
and the condition was obedience to the
reasonable commandment, simply to
give or offer to God the fruit Of one tree
as an acknowledgment of mans absolute
dependence upon God and Gods supreme
dominion over man.
BY disobeying that commandment he
practically denied Gods dominion and
his dependence, and hence forfeited all
that the commandment stood for, and
all men share In this loss. by one
man sin came into the world, and by sin
death, and SO death passed upon all men
in whom all have sinned."-St. Paul,
Rom. v 1918.
AS man denied Gods prerogative God
might have left him with his choice, and
II he had done so-had withdrawn his
will for mans existence-he would have
ceased to be.
But that was not what God created
him for. HE wills not the death of
sinner but that he be converted and
live." God gives man another chance,
but In harmony with all his attributes he
institutes religion through which man
may be reinstated. That religion must
contain means to undo the rebellion of
sin. it must have in 1t something, some
act, which man may make his own, and
by which he may express his dependence
and Gods supreme dominion, which he
had denied by his sin.
Prayer cannot fulfil that office. Prayer
Is good but insufficient. Prayer may be
offered to creature and is often offered
to creatures. Prayer does not suppose
the person prayed to. to be supreme, and
hence could not express the relations be-
tween God and man. Therefore sacri-
fee. that Is to say, some sensible object
ordained by God and offered to God
and to God alone, by some duly author
ICED person, and which cannot be offered
to anyone else. Is essential in that re-
ligion which Is intended to restore man
to his lost estate.
This sacrifice Is a substitute for mans
life which God might have exacted. The
WHY CVIuAIA0AOuICAI tIl<1t HAL ulSOOeYeQ
in Paradise had the form of a sacrifice
In the sense that 1t was an acknowl-
edgement Of the relations between God
and man, but when man sinned atone
ment was necessary, and atonemcnt Is a
personal act. And man could not atone
for his sin. He was spiritually bankrupt.
Therefore in religion the sacrifice that
was needed must include atonement as
well. on the part Of some person. Hence
the incarnation Of Christ and his sacri-
fee. But man must share in or apply
the merits Of that sacrifice and that is
done through the religion that God
deigned to vouchsafe him as d second
trial.
In the old law the idea was maintained
all through, but the sacrifices were sym
Dolical. In the new law there must still
be a sacrifice as the essential part of re-
igion, else 1t does not fulfiNHthe idea of
religion. And that sacrifice> Unjust not
be a mere symbol, II 1t were. Ne should
be no better of that the Jews oApld. The
sacrifice must be a real sacrifice, ana It
must be such that man can make it his
,wn, and offer 1t to God az the principal
md essential act Of worship, Just as his
hin was his personal act and negation
II Gods supreme right over him.