Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-08
DISCUSSES ACCOUNT
OF TRANSPORTATION
BISHOP C0NATY breaches AT
ST. VlBlAkA'S
Incarnation, crucifixion and Sacrament
Represent Different Phases
of the Same Great
Mystery


Bishop Conaty preached yesterday
morning, at st. Vibiana's cathedral on
the TRANSPORTATION. He said in part:
"rhe gospel narrative of the transfig-
uration of our Lord brings wildly be-
fore us that first glimpse which the
apostles had of the divine character of
the Redeemer. They had been called
by him to the ministry of his word.
Peter had publicly confessed his faith
in him as the son of the living GOD,
and had been proclaimed the rock upon
which Christ was to build his church.
They had seen him heal the sick and
restore sight to the blind; they loved
him as their Master and they felt with
in them something of the truth of his
divine mission.
But the day when their faith in
him would be fully tested was near at
hand, and Christ wished to strengthen
their faith by this divine manifestation
by which they were to realize that there
was something in him that was Tar De :
yond even the highest expression OIL
the merely human. The scene of the
TRANSPORTATION took place on Mt. Ia
Dor, a few days after Peters profession
of faith in Christ and Christ's promise
to him of the primacy over his church:
Accompanying Christ to the top of
the mountain were his three favorite
disciples, Jeter, James and John. Peter
was destined to be the rock upon whlch
Christ would build his church, and ne
was to be the first great pontin IN
that long line of sainted men upon
whose shoulders was to be placed the
authority to govern the holy churcn
of God. James, the first Christian blsh-
on of Jerusalem, was to be the first
apostle to shed his blood for Christ.
John, the beloved disciple, the virgin
apostle. was to receive the wonderful
mission of writing the divine gospel
and giving to the world the truth with
regard to the divine nature of Christ.
"These three companions of Christ IN
the glory of Tabor were also to be his
companions in the sorrows OF Getn-
semane. They were privileged to wit
ness something of the glory of Chrlst
divine character. in order that, IN the
sorrows and sufferings the eruclhXlon
and death of their divine Master, they
might have their faith strengthened by
the thought of what they had seen, and
thus be able to comprehend fully the
truth of his divine mission.
Prophets on Either Side
1.-THE gospel story tells us of the
transformation. Christs face shone as
the sun and his garments were white
as snow. Two figures appeared on
either side of him-Moses, the law-giver
of Israel and Elias, the greatest or all
the prophets. There was in the trans
figured Christ a marvellous glory upon
which human eye had never peIore
gazed, which illumined their faith and
gave them the courage to MAINTAIN con-
fidence in him in the hour of MS death
on the cross.
"Jn the moment of this glory of their
Master there was heard the voice or
the Almighty: This is my beloved Son,
in whom 1 am well pleased; near we
him. The brightness of the transngu-
ration dazzled them; and, hearing the
voice of the eternal Father, the apostles
sank to the ground in alteration real
izing that indeed they were in the very
presence of divinity. The transnsuiia-
tion not only taught them sometnlhg
of the divine character of Christ but
II also showed them that he was IN
deed the Redeemer who had been prom
ised and was expected.
"Moses stood beside him to show that
the old law found in Christ its fulfill
ment, proving that Christ came not 10
destroy the law but TO fulfill IT; not
tn violate the law or to blaspheme
III.
II in his obedience. Elias, the prophet,
was there to show that Christ was the
divine Messiah whom the prophets
foretold. The confirmation of the WIS.,
ion was in the word of God proclaim
ing the TRANSPORTED Christ as his be-
loved Son and bidding all mankind near
him. . q
John the Baptist, at the moment OF
Christ's baptism, had heard the voice
,cooIo iroip0 Christ as his ONLY
begotten Son. and the Holy Spirit or
God in the form of a dove had de-
scended on Christ as he stood in the
waters of the Jordan. SO came the
word of God to confirm the glory OF
their divine Master as the apostles
gazed upon him TRANSPORTED upon MI
Tabor.
Immaculate Conception
"A TRANSPORTATION occurred in the in,
carnation when the second person OF
tbe Diyine Trinity assumed our human
nature and was born at Bethlehem the
son of God made man. His DIVINITY
was hidden. as it were, from human
gaze in the helplessness or our human
itv. TRANSPORTATION occurred Wnen
CHRIST nailed to the cross, gave up MS
shirt in the ignominy or a cruclIXloll,
redeeming mankind by the sacrlnce OF
his precious blood. A TRANSPORTATION
occurs every DAY OH oul aitals ~
the Incarnate Son of God, under the
annearance of bread and wine in the
sacrament, really and substantially
dwells In the holy sacrament OF the
altar IN become the food and nourlsh-
ment of our souls.
"A TRANSPORTATION takes place in hu-
man life whenever and wherever sin
is banished from the soul and the sin
ner becomes another Christ The great
sacramental system established by
Christ is the means by which CHRIST
effects In us that TRANSPORTATION from
sin to holiness. making it possible for
the worst of sinners to be changed lnto
+he greatest of saints. 1t infuses the
divine virtues into the human soul; IL
Gives mans intelligence clear vision
of heavenly truth and fills his entire
being with divine love-