The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-03-04
TIMOTHY.
BY THE MERCY OF GOD AND THE
GRACE OF THE APOSTOLIC
SEE.
BISHOP OF cRooKsToN.
ON THE GLORIOUS TRIUMPHS OF
THE CHURCH.

ON THE GLORIOUS TRIUMPHS or
THE CHURCH.
| To the Venerable Brethren of the
Clergy and the Beloved Brethren OF
Benediction in Christ Jesus, our
Lord
Dearly Beloved Brethren.
/ Over nineteen centuries have run
/ their course since Christ established
His one, true, holy, Catholic, apostolic
/ and infallible Church and founded the
| apostolic school to teach mankind
heavenly truth till time is no more.
| The glorious apostles, the inVincible
| champions OF Christianity and whole
souled heralds of Gods messages to
the world, were to erect the standard
of the cross of Christ, and Him
crucitied, triumphantly over the plains
of Asia Minor, Greece and Rome. They
were to announce the gospel equally
to the poor, the rich and the rulers,
gently to the just, but strongly to the
obstinate sinner. Virtue they must
inculcate and vice they must rep
rimand, alike to peasant and king, in
face of persecution, exile and death.
lnsurmountabIe Obstacles.
To overcome appalling and, humanity
speaking, insurmountable obstacles,
on the part of the propagators, the
people to be converted, and her doc
trine, was the mission of the Church.
ly, band of twelve poor, obscure ana
illiterate fishermen, without human
power. worldly influence, or natural elo-
quence, possessing no other arms than
the sign of the cross and the truth Of
the doctrine they preached The people
| had sunk to the depths Of corruption
that naturally kept equal pace with
increasing wealth. The worship of
| human passions as gods and mon
strous immortality reigned supreme.
| The doctrine they preached formed
a system comprising incomprehensible
dogma, the dictates of a crucified Jew,
maltreated,> despised, the son of a
carpenter; rigid code of morals, so
adverse to natural inclinations and to
ancient and cherished customs; pre-
cepts, contrary to human pride;
duties most difficult of accomplish
ment, and all in opposition to the
recognized religion of the Roman
Empire. The divfnely commissioned
apostles, with mission like unto
| Christ's "as the Father hath sent Me
l send you," went forth to convert
| the world, first in Judea and Samaria
and then the other nations, as lambs
amid wolves, the divine Master prom
ising as a reward, on Earth, only
persecution, "as the world persecuteth
Me, so it will prosecute you" Their
mission was to confound the learned
of Greece and Rome, to overthrow the
sanctioned national religion, sustained
by mighty human power, and bring
| the world to the foot of the cross.
The light of faith soon .shone far and
wide. Jew and Gentle around
Christ's banner. The glorious cross
of Christ appeared on the Roman
capitol. Heather Rome became
Christian Rome. Christ's standard
was ultimately established on the
ruins of gigantic paganism. Peter,
Church, the prince of the apostles,
made Rome the seat of the universal
and indestructible empire of the
Church. Towards the end of the first
century hardly country existed
| that did not hear the faith announced.
st. Paul already had eulogized the
Roman Christians in these terms ::
first give thanks to my God through
Jesus Christ for you all, because your
faith is spoken of in the whole world. .
Christ, the Goldman, than Whom NO
/ greater wonderworker, no better bene-
factor of humanity, no loftier philos.
opher was enthroned, despite all
human opposition. Naturally, the
mighty pagan power could have
destroyed the infant Church in its
cradle, standing on the enemy's
domain, but as her divine Founder, the
Church, in her giant strength rises
fom the grave of persecution, while
the vengeance of God descends on
her naughty enemies. HE will
bring those evil men to an evil end
and "The nation. and kingdom, that
will not serve God. shall perish" says
Holy Writ.
/ The Prosecutions.
| No less prodigy is the preserva
tion of the Church. Her history forms
one continued series of bitter con
tests with powerful and crafty enc
mics, whose entire physical, intellect
ual and moral strength is cunningly
employed to annihilate her doctrine
extinguish the spirit of her holiness