Bishop Buddy Scrapbook 1941-1945

Sermon Of Bishop Buddy 1 On Novena Broadcast At Chicago's Famed Shrine ( Continued from Page 3) (John. 5-36)"

Chicago rchdiocese Observes Centennial CHICAGO, Nov. 14.-1 historic Holy Name Cathedral where about 15 Bishops have been consec~ted and countless priests ordained, impressive :remonies were held this morning to mark the I00th ann;versary of establishing of Chicago Arch- diocese. Archbishops, Bishops, Monsignori and clergy attended, together with the laity crow ng the famous edifice to its ca- pacity. Among those present was our own Bishop of San Diego, His Excellency the Most Reverend Charles Francis Buddy, Ph.D., D.D. The colorful proce·ssion with the Most Rev. Samuel A. Stritch, fourth Archbishop of Chicago participating, began shortly before noon. Archbishop Stritch, celebrant of the Solemn Pontifical Mass, was assisted by the Rt. Rev. Msgr. Joseph P. Morrison, Rector of the Cathedral. The Most Rev. Francis J. Magner, Bishop of Marquette and a former priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, delivered the sermon. Five choirs sang the music of the Mass: The Cathedral Choristers, the Priests Choir, the St. Mary of the Lake Semi- narians Choir, the Gregorian Schola of St. Mary's Seminary and the Quigley Seminary Plain Chant Choir. The Cathedral Symphony orchestra played. Prof. Alfred Wideman, Cathedral organist, supplied the organ accompaniment. One hundred and ten years ago, in 1833, at the beginning of Chicago's history, Father St. Cyr built t~e city's first Catholic church with about 400 souls in his care. Ten years later, on No- verber 28, 1843, Pope Gregory XVI founded the diocese of Chicago which then embraced the entire state of Illinois. In 1844, only 20 priests, two of them laboring in Chicago, had charge of the entire diocese,

The Professor on the train in- terrupted to say that my argu- ment about the miracles was not convincing. "All right, now you yourself stated that Jesus Christ is the greatest character that ever lived on earth. In your opinion, would the greatest character have to speak the truth?" "Certainly He would,'' replied my inquirer. "Now, Christ said He was Di- vine. He knew, of course, that the Jews resisted His claim to Divin- ity; and thus, He challenged in- vestio-ation: 'If I do not the works of M; Father, believe Me not; but if I do these, you will not believe 1 Me but the works that you may kn~w and believe that the Father is in Me, and I am in the Father. Perhaps you recall the oath of the high priest in the Synagogue: 'I adjure Thee by the living God that Thou tell us whether Thou art Christ the Son of the living God.' Jesus answered: 'Thou hast said it.' H Then to my train companion: "Are you acquainted with the facts o! the Resurrection in which Christ summarized the proofs of His Divine Mission? He prophesied His own Resurrection, which fact is proved by a preponderance of evidence, because He appeared not only to a few, but to many-even to more than 500 brethren - at once. (St. Paul, 1; Cor. 15-6). Then said the State College Pro- fessor, "The arguments you give surely urge belief; bu.t for my part, they are not conclusive. More- ! over" he said "I do not want to ' hav; ~nything 'to do with what you ' Catholics call dogmas." "Well," said I, "What are dogmas?" He didn't know. Dogmas are simply established truths. Math- ematics has certain dogmas which are permanen.t and fixed because they are grounded in the very na- ture of reason itself. For example, the principle that the whole is greater thll.Jl any of its parts. "Let me relate an incident in the life of Christ which, for me, proves His Divinity beyond question. Do you remember the account fa St. Luke's Gospel (Luke, 7-37)-how the scribes and Pharisees brought to Jesus a poor girl caught in sin. They were going to stone her to death. That was the Law of Moses. And Christ challenged them, say- ing: 'Let him who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone at her.'

"While it ls not mentioned in Holy Scripture, my own com"ic- tion is that the yery seducer of this victim was there with his hands full of stones. That is al- ways the way. And these Scribes and Pharisees, whose lives were doubtless a thousand times blacker than the woman they condemned, looked at one another, dropped their stones and went sneaking away like whipped curs. And Je- sus who had been writing on the gro~nd raised Himself and said to her: 1 'Womal'!, where are they? Is anyone left to condemn thee?" She said, 'No one, Lord.' Jesus said 'Neither will I condemn thee'. Go thy way, and from now on sin no more.'-(L:ike. 7-37). ;,That was Divine." To this, the Professor comment- ed, "Mister, you are now speaking my language." "Very well then, listen to an- other fact in the life of Christ. You ·recall how Simon, one of the Pharisees, invited Christ to doine with him, and Christ accepted the invitation. Now it was the com- mon custom in those days to ex- tend three cour.tesies to a guest: Fi,rst, the host presented a towel and water with which to b'athe the feet; then the roads were dusty and the people wore sandals, If the guest was greater than you- for example-like your Father or Mother, you would bathe their feet for them; but if ;t was some- one your equal, like your brother or sister, you would simply pro- vide them with water and towel. Recall how Our Lord went around at the Last Supper and bathed the feet of the disciples, putting Him- self below them in dignity. The second courtesy was to an~nt the head with perfumed oil, after which they gave the Kiss of Peace. Now when Christ went m.to the house of the Pharisee, they snubbed Him. They gave Him none of these courtesies, and let Him take the last place at table. And behold, a woman in the town who was a sinner, upon he·aring that He was at table in );he Phari- see's house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment, and standing be- hind Him at His feet, she began to bathe His feet with her tears, and dried them with her long, brown wavy hair, and kissed His feet and an o i n t e d them ,vith ointment. At this, the Pharisees at the table pretended to be

shocked. (They ,, but just pretenc murmured within ing: 'Were this 1 He would surely ,mat manner of v is touching Him; ner.' And Jesus thoughts, answE 'Simon, I have s to thee.' And h speak.' 'A cert~ had two debtorE 500 denarii, and c had no means o gave ,them both. forgiven will lov mon answered E pose to whom }- And He said to judged rightly.' the woman, He 'Dost thou see came into thy h Me no water for has ba.thed My f< and has dried th Thou gavest Me from the momen not ceased to ki. didst not anoint but she has a Wherefore, I say many as they given her becau much. But he t forgiven loves li "And He said were at table beJ themselves, 'Who eYen forgives sir to the woman,

Probably the earliest visit of a Catholic priest to what is now the metropolis of Chicago was that of Father Marquette, who preached to the Indians on the shores of Lake Michigan. Another first was the ministry of Father Badin, the first priest ordained within the limits of the 13 original colonies, who came to old Fort Dearborn. In every church of the Archdiocese, a solemn Triduum was observed. are forgiven the'-~-------~---~----------~--~-

saved thee. Go in peace. As long as the world exists what has hap- pened here today will be told oin memory of her.' Then Christ lifted up the sinner-lifted her up from the dust, from the dirt and the dirty insinuations-lifted up Mary Magdalene the sinner, and made her Mary Magdalene the Saint. And that was Divine!" Then my cold-blooded train companion exclaimed: "Do you mean that Christ goes out of Rois way to seek the sinner-and the sinner can go to Christ?" "Precisely, not only that, Christ is more anxious :to forgive, than the sinner is to be forgiven.'' "Then," said the Professor, Father, I take back everything I have said. Jesus Christ was Di- vine!"