Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-08
EASTER THOUGHTS
BRING HAPPINESS
BISHOP breaches ON JOYS OF
RESURRECTION
Says Great Teachers Rising from the
Dead Is Proof Of His Divinity.
Is Characteristic OF
Redeemer

THE Joys of the Risen Savior" was
the topic of Rt. Rev. Bishop Conaty
yesterday morning at the high mass az
the Cathedral of ST. vibiana. The
bishop said i'm part:
Easter thoughts bring joy and hap
piness to men. The joyful alleluis and
fragrant flowers. the myriad lights, the
pomp of ceremony, all unite in one
harmonious note of exultation because
Christ our love who was crucifed has
risen from the dead. The victim has
become the victor, and heaven and
earth rejoice I'm the resurrection, which
is mankind's central thought, essential
to all that is true in religion. The
resurrection is the proof of Christ's
divinity.
"As we remember all that religion has
been to mankind we are forced to see
divinity as Characteristic of the Re-
deemer. Great men have arisen and
have impressed themselves upon the
centuries. Alexander, Socrates, Napo-
leon and Washington are types of
mighty characters who have made their
names synonymous with great deeds
and far-reachlng> influences. Their
greatness came as a result of their own
activity.
"Ihey were unheard of until they
themselves acted and did that which
merited commendation-they were not
spoken of before their BIRTH nothing
foretold their existence or their deeds.
Christ alone of all men was foretold,
preflgured, described. His name as
Messias was written upon the Jewish
annals and was in their sacrifices and
prayers.
End of Old Law
"He was the end of the old law, the
ginning of the new, the pivot around
which all history revolved. His place
of birth, the family from which he was
to spring, the time of his coming, his
life. his death, his resurrection, all were
written, known and looked for CEN
turies before the Christmas night at
Bethlehem, or the Good Friday of Cal
vary.
"1his child who is to lead men is
something more than a mere man, he
is written of and hoped for as the Son
of the Most High-divinity is marked
over all that speaks of him. Christ
came and men saw and heard him. No
man had ever spoken as he spoke-no
man had ever done what he did.
Divinity is upon all his words and
deeds. Philosophers had arisen and had
given forth doctrine, but it was in the
truth and goodness-but Christ pre-
sented himself as the very impersona-
tion of truth. Socrates had said, This
is the truth, but Christ said, I am the
truth, the way and the life,' I am the
light of the world I am the Son of
God,' Who believes in me shall be
saved He appealed to the resurrec-
tion as the proof of the divinity which
he claimed to possess.
I'VE have seen tba Stnr daU a nd
it's open tomb and we have glorified in
the belief of twenty centuries in the
risen Savior.
"An added sensible proof comes to us
on this day in the incredulity of st.
Thomas, to whom in his condescension
Christ gave palpable evidence of the
reality of his resurrection"
Bishop Conaty detailed the scene of
st. Thomas doubt and said that it was
the most assuring evidence that Christ
was truly risen.
Effect on Thought
The pishop then dwelt upon the eff
feet of Christ's doctrine upon the
thought and life of the world and said
that twenty centuries of Christianity
attest his power and influence which
cannot be explained except by reason
of his divinity. The moral and social
regeneration of mankind, the virtues
which demand self sacrifice, the uplift-
ing and ennobling of character, the
humanness and beauty of goodness all
stand as results of the teaching of one
who on Good Friday was regarded as
mere crucified Jew, who has drawn all
men to him. The child of Bethlehem,
the man of Calvary, the risen Savior
has revolutionized the world of thought
and life and held it to him, and this
alone would merit for him to be cred
tied with something more than human
nature. The bishop spoke of present
tendencies and said that mankind's
hope is bound up in the divinity of
Christ. Mankind's danger is in the
weakening of belief in Christ as the
Son of God. He urged all to unite with
st. Thomas in a fervent outburst of
faith, kneeling before Christ our risen
Savior and adoring him as our Lord
and our God,