The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-04-29
THE WORK OF REDEMPTION.

The knowledge of the incarnation
raises the question, Why did Christ
become, man? Catholic doctrine an
swers with the creed: For us men
and sfoPpcur salvation He descended
from heaven and was made man.
Under the title of Saviour of mankind
He is known, loved and adored; hence
His name is Jesus. "She shall bring
forth a Son, and thou shalt call his
name Jesus. For he shall save his
people from their sins" For God in
deed was in Christ reconciling the
world to Himself"
Whether the original plan of Divine
Providence contemplated, as the end
for which God created the world, that
He might communicate Himself, and
bring about the union of intelligent
creatures with Himself; or whether
the rigorous demands of Divine justice
required the Incarnation for the mani
festation of infinite mercy to our race,
that Justice and peace might en-
BRACE" it is distinctly taught as a
tenet of Catholic Faith that the Eter-
nal Son of God became man in order
to redeem mankind. To suppose that
God could not have accorded pardon
to our race without the price paid for
it by the Redeemer had He willed to
do so, would not be credible; but to
receive the satisfaction which His
supreme justice required at the same
time that His infinite mercy displayed
itself in forgiving; the mysteries of
the incarnation and the cross became
indispensable. substituted victim of
infinite merit and value, and yet vic
tim of our race, and representing our
race, was needed, to the end that JUS
tice might be duly satisfied and mercy
be manifested.
To blot out our sins the satisfac-
ton of Christ was therefore for us
entirely necessary. BY His death on
the cross He redeemed us, and merited
for us justification. He was offered
because it was His own will He
died for the salvation of all men, and
if any perish it will not be because
for them, but because they have
failed to secure an application to
themselves of the merits of Christ.
The Just offered Himself for the I'M
just; He offered Himself freely, of His
own will, and because of His love,
and He abundantly merited forgive
ness for all, and by His obedience and
humiliations merited for Himself as
man, an exaltation most extraordinary,
eand a name above all names. "He is
the Precipitation for our sins, and not
for ours only, but also for those of
the whole world" He alone bears the
title of mediator For there is one
God, and Christ Jesus, Who gave Him
self a redemption for all"
He chose the cross as the altar of
His sacrifice, that life might arise
from whence death had sprung, and
that the devil, who from the tree had
conquered, should in the tree be over
come. He chose an ignominious and
cruel death on the cross, in order to
heal in us the concupiscence of the
eyes, and the pride of life He chose
to be crucified amid abandonment,
contempt, sufferings and agony, in
order to signify to US the deformity
and atrocity of sin, which demanded
such an extraordinary punishment
and expiration.
The following are the chief benefits
which He has merited for us by His
death:
1. He has washed us from our sins
in His blood.
2. He has liberated US from the
seIFltHde OF the devil, and rescued US