Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-26
BISHOP BREACHES
YULET|DE SERMON
Catholic PreIate Explains Signiti-
canoe of Christmas at ST.
Vibiana's Cathedral
MANKIND UNITED BY LOVE
Speaker Says Christ Has An
SWered ShibboIeth of Modern
UnbeIieVerS

Bishop Conaty preached the Christ
mas sermon at solemn Vespers Al st.
Vibana's cathedral last night, taking
his text from ST. Luke 2:l0-11. And
tho angel said to the shepherds: Fear
not; for behold [ bring you tidings of
great Joy, for this day is born to you a
Savior, who is Christ the Lord"
Bishop Conaty said:
"'Tho hearts of the people arc filled
with joy and happiness because of the
birth of Christ who brought redemp-
ton to mankind. The message Of the
angel Gabriel to the shepherds of
Iudea on Christmas eve has been to
all the generations of men a source of
faith and hope for redemption through
Christ, who was promised and who
came that he might by the sacrifice of
his life atone for the sins of men and
purchase for them the means Of eter-
nal salvation. The angels message Is
the expression OF love and mercy of
God toward mankind. 1t was not in
tended for the shepherds alone but for
all the children OF men who from the
beginning had hoped and worked for
redemption, and who until the end OF
time should recognize in Christ the
Savior of the world.
"Christmas day was in the promise
to Adam after his fall, and it is the
reconciliation of every man with his
God through the blood of Christ.
TULFILLMENT OF PROPHEsY
For 1000 years man had looked for
ward to the fulflIment of the prophesy
that redemption would come through
the child born of the Virgin at Beth
lehem. The prophets spoke of him.
the patriarchs were figures of him and
the Jewish race was chosen to bring
him forth, and thus the entire history
Of the Old Testament religion centers
around and about him. He is the
Child of promise, the Messiah who is to
be the Savior, the Emmanuel-God
with us, and through him all mankind
is to find salvation. No wonder the
angels sang their hymns of glory and
praise for the justice of God was to
be satisfied in him; no wonder that
they summoned the shepherds as rep
resentatives of redeemed mankind to
come and adore their newly born king
and Savior. Christmas day is the day
of joy, of glory to God and peace to
men,"
Bishop Conaty spoke of the mys-
terry of the incarnation by which the
Divine Son of God assumed human
| nature that he might expiate in his
| blood the sins of man, give atonement
to God and place within the reach of
man the means of eternal salvation.
Speaking of the results OF Christ's
birth the bishop said:
"Christmas night with the Christ
child is the determining factor which
| has brought to us the morality that
saves and the civilization which makes
| known the truth of God and gives to
| intellect and heart the power which
ennobles manhood and womanhood
and makes life worth living and eter-
| nifty secure.
CENTRAL FIGURE OF HISTORY
THE child of Bethlehem is the great
central figure in all history and has
/ brought to us the true appreciation
of human nature and has given liberty
to men and united them in a common
brotherhood which recognizes the mu-
| tual relations of one to the other and
the social relations of all to God. Christ
has restored manhood to it's dignity
by giving to human nature the in
tegrity which it had lost by sin. The
shibboeth of the modern age which
frequently forgets to recognize God
and knows less of Christ, is liberty.
equality and fraternity. In truth, Christ
has brought us the true liberty in re-
storing the harmony of life through
the forgiveness of sin and the estab-
lishment of Gods love in the hearts of
men. He has taught to man that true
equality which finds itself in a COM
mon manhood and WoLanhood and
which establishes common brother
hood in the one Reedemer who has
taught that all might enjoy a common
heritage of life and happiness in the
grace OF the love of God and the hope
of heaven through a common Redeem
er. The Christ child at bethlehem has
taught the world the great lesson of
charity by making us realize that We
are all the children of common
father and brothers of one divine Re-
l.
the love of God and the love of the
neighbor form the mainsprings of that
true love by which man is able to real
ize his destiny"