The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-04-15

of their future mission to preach the
kingdom of God and to testify to His
resurrection, He blessed them, and In
the sight of all "He was raised up,
and cloud received Him from their
vision" (Acts I. 81.
So terminated the period of Christ's
vened between His Resurrection and
Ascension He often appeared to His
followers; He held intimate converse
with them; He reproved their slow
ness to believe in His resurrection; He
proved to their incredulous minds
that He had really risen in the flesh,
that He was with them again in His
bodily presence, and not merely as a
spirit or ghost, and not merely as a
phantom of their own imagination.
He, the same Jesus who had walked
and talked with them before His death
was now in their midst. In accord
with the prophecies of old about the
Messiah, in fulfilment of His own pre-.
dictions and promises, He had risen
from the dead, His body had been re-
stored to life-changed, however, in a
manner suitable to the celestial abode,
where henceforth it should sit at the
right hand of God the Father AL,
mighty. The eyes of the Apostles be.
held the resurrected body of Christ
their hands touched it, their ears
heard the sounds that proceeded from
those sacred lips, 20 whose sweet
words of wisdom they had long been
accustomed. Nay, more, He had sat
at table and partook of food in their
company, while He discussed with
them His plans in regard to their fu.
ture labors to build up His church
Was there the remotest possibility OF
their mistaking that beautiful Person.
atty that for the past three years
had become entwined with their very
existence, and without whose presence
they felt as orphans suddenly bereft
of father and mother? Little wonder
then that His Ascension left them be-
hind confirmed in faith, strong in
hope and buoyant in the expectation
VI LAC L dC1CIC, WIZ WOu1u CAuuC
them with power from on high, and
inspire and animate them with zeal
for the arduous work, which was
theirs to perform. Yes, Christ rose
from the dead, and that fact alone can
explain the re-awakened confidence Of
His disciples who at His ignomirious
death had fallen into the slough OF
despond. This fact alone could have
nerved them with invincible resolve
to unswervingly assume their stupen
dous work of preaching the Gospel Of
Crucified Saviour Only this fact
can explain why, from the very outset
they made the Resurrection the basis
of Christian belief, on which was built
the faith of the numerous converts
who having previously rejected the
call of Christ living, now flock to the
standard of Christ dead. Dead! Yes
but risen again; yea as reigning in
visib1y in His Church, and visibly "in
the glory of God the Father" in Heav
en-! This fact alone can explain the
conversion of st. Paul. who having re
ceived vision of the risen Christ
was changed from the most violent
prosecutor of Christ's followers into
His most devoted servant and jealous
Apostle. This fact alone can account
for the marvellous growth of the
Church in the teeth of insuperable OBJ
stacles which the world, the flesh, anG
the devil had marshalled in opposition
Yes, truly Christ rose from the dead
and His Resurrection alone will salts
factorily explain the marvellous facts
of the origin, growth and continued
progress of the Christian Church az
the most vital factor in the history Of
humanity.
But, it may reasonably be asked Il
the history on which we rely for thu
above evidence in favor of the Resur
rection is authentic and worthy of &C
ceptance? We answer: most trust
worthy. We adduce as our authori
ties the testimony of eye witness, anG
devoted disciples of eye witness of the
events narrated-men who saw what
they relate, and who spent their year!
and days thereafter preaching the Res
direction of Christ in obedience to thu
command of the Master: s'You shall
be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem
and in all Judea and Samaria, ani
even to the uttermost part of thu
earth" (Acts I, 81. Our authorities
are, in the first place the four evangel
lists, Matthew. Mark, Luke and John
two of whom are the Apostles O.
Christ, and the other two disciples ant
fe1low-workers of the greatest of the
Apostles-Saints Peter and Paul
whose minds for us they represent
Hence the authors of the Gospels
knew whereof they wrote, and we hav,
every reason to accept their writer
records as thoroughly reliable. w,
have, moreover, the authority of tn,
Acts Of the Apostles, also from TIT
pen of St. Luke, than which, in thu
opinion of critics, more exact his
tOrv has not heen written From thi.