The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1922-10-06
IN THE CHURCHES
CATHOLIC SERMON

iast, October l, by Rev. John A.
mon delivered on Sunday morning
last, Oitober 1, by Rev. John A.
Mates at the Catholic church. Faith
er Mates said in part:
Our Lord asked the scribes and
Pharisees what belief they held con-
corning the Messiah, Christ. and
what testimony they found in the
scriptures concerning Him. Their
answer touches His human descent
/ only; for they say: He is David's
son. Then our Lord takes their ans
wer showing its inaccuracy and in
completeness by he honor David
pays the Messiah in his psalms. Why
does David call him Lord saying:
The Lord said to my Lord, sit Thou
at my right hand" Ps. 100. No such
honor could be given by father to
one who Is his son and nothing more.
The full and correct answer to this
question was given on another occas-
ION when our Lord asked His follow
ers; "What do you say that | am 2"
Then Peter, the future head and first
pope OF the church, solemnly declar-
ed, Thou art Christ, the Son of the
living God" This solemn statement
made with infallibility by divine au-
thoritN was confirmed by our Lord in
these words: Flesh and blood had it
not revealed to thee, but my Father
who isln heaven" (Matth. is: l6, IT.
The same test that Christ gave to
the scribes and Pharisees and his fol-
lowers, VIA belief and profession in
his divinity and divine mission, is the
test preached in all times of the
Christian religion down to our own
day. The church throughout all CEN
turtles proclaimed with answering
fldelity: Thou art Christ, the Son of
the living God, born of the Father be-
fore all ages, true God of true God,
lncarnate by the Holy Ghost of the
Virgin Mary, made flesh for us and
our salvation" (Nicene Greedy True
God and true man-there is the full
teaching. And if there be any test
today of any mans claim to the IT,
tie of a Christian, it is this: What
think you of Christ, whose son is he 3?
Alas, like in the days when ST.
John the Apostle wrote his gospel in
defense against the Ebionites of
Christ's divinity down to our own
time the church has had to state re-
peatedly the full and complete faith
in Christ's divinity and humanity.
Men who prided themselves Of being
leaders of men in the temporal and
even in spiritual avocations, denied
our Lords divinity, or whitfield it
down so it lost its value. Most in
| sidious and harmful is this work
when they are poisoning the minds of
children and youth with disregard
and contempt for great truths of Rev
elatiOn. We learn that when they
! disregarded their belief and aban-
doned their service of the Lord, wars
and punishment resulted until they
, cried to Him for help. In our own
| time was not the ultimate cause of
| the great world war perhaps a pun
ishment for mankind for the wide
spread denial of divinity of Christ
and Indifference in matters of relig-
ion? And is it not the continual dis
regard of the teaching of the gospel
raising fresh war clouds on the hor-
lion of human observance?
| As test of fellowship with Christ,
! He not only exacted belief in the di-
vinity of His person, but also of His
work especially in healing souls by
/ forgiving their sins. For the body
/ can be i'll at ease when the soul is
sick, and vice versa. The Romans
had a proverb: Mems sana in corpse
samoa sound mind in sound body.
! So the seekers or temporal favors
from Christ were led by Him to have
faith and seek spiritual favors force
lmost-the health and salvation Of the
soul. In the next Sundays gospel
I'VE have the example of the man sick
with palsy looking for help from the
disease. The first thing the Divine
/ Healer addressed to him was this:
BE of good heart, thy sins are for
given thee" When some Of the
scribes and Pharisees objected TO Him
forgiving sins also He said TO them,
"Why do you think evil in your
hearts? But that you may know that
the Son of man has power on earth
to forgive sins. tThen he said to the
man sick of palsy Arise, take up
thy bed and go into thy house. >
Matth. 9: 4-6.l The same objection
against Chris and the same faith he
demanded Is a criterion of the true
Christian of today for His faith is
true and does not change. How can
this man forgive sins is an objection
we hear also against the priest Of
Christ in the exercise of his powers
when regarded a mere man and not
an agent Of God.
Faith in this matter is essential to-
day as it was when proclaimed by
Christ, for ne commissioned its con
tinuance when he conferred il upon
the Apostles and their successors in
the church. As the Father sent me,
sent you. Receive We the Holy