The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-05-03
GIT is FINISHED"

The evening light begins TO GUNNER
again upon Calvary, the three crosses
and the little group that waits for the
end: and as it falls upon the Face of
Christ the look of agony is gone. He
has cried alike on God and man to
have pity on tortured soul and parched
body. and each has answered. Now,
in that face, bleached by the sadness
of the soul, and the eyes, sunken with
sorrow, a new look begins that rises,
as those who stand by watch Him, I'M
til the whole face is radiant once
more. The breaths come fuller and
fuller, the body nailed by its extremi-
ties begins to lift itself higher and
higher till strength is gained sufficient
for Him not only to speak, but to utter
Il cry so loud and triumphant as TO
startle and amaze the officer who has
watched many men die, but not as this
Man dies. The cry peals outlke the
cry Of a King in the moment OF vic
tory, and in an instant failure and Ia
Dor and bitterness are behind Him for
ever 1T is finished
Christ's work. then, is Finished on
the Cross-fnished as bread is finish
ed from the mills and fire. that it may
he eaten; as wine is finished after the
stress and trampIing Of the wine-press
finished as a mans body is finished
in the womb Of his mother and brought
forth with travail. 1t is finished for a
new and glorious beginning. The
enormous process which has crushed
and mangled Him in His assumed ma,
lure begins effectively to carry on that
same work of Redemption in the HUI,
man Nature of His Church.
And yet we, His friends, live for the
most part as if He had never died
Compare the life Of a cultured, fastid
ious pagan with the life of a cultivat
ed, fastidious Christian. Draw the
two from corresponding classes and set
them side by side. Is there SO enOr
NOUS a difference? There are a few
differences in the religious emblems OF
the two. The one has an Apollo; the
other a crucifx. The one has an
Egyptian goddess with her son in her
arms: the other has the Immaculate
Mother OF God with her Holy Child
Their talk is different, their dresses
their houses-all those external mat
ters that are wholly Indifferent to the
souls life. But are their virtues SO
different, their outlook on eternity
their sorrow beside open graves, their
hopes beside new cradles? Even be-
fore Christ died children loved their
parents and parents their children
Even before Christ died chastity was
virtue Are we so advanced now ii
that purity of heart without which nc
man can see God? Even Roman
emperor. once preached self-contro
and practiced it. Are our own houses
any better models of the peace oil
brethren who dwell together in unity
Did Christ finish His work merely
in order that society might decay ne
further? God help us. AS we lool
at what is called Christian society to
day it seems as if Christ had not even
begun.
Yet there is this vast river of grace
pouring from Calvary, the river that
ought to be making glad the City OF
Cod Here is thisaenormous reservoir
of grace bubbling up in every Saera
ment, soaking the Ground beneath our
feet, sfresherting the: air we breathe
And we still in our hateful, false hui
mility talk as if perfection were a
dream, and sanctity the privilege OF
: those who see God in glory.
In Christ's name let us begin. For
Christ has finished.
Mgr. Benson.